Subjective Religion and Abstract Art
Spirituality in Modern Art - The Immaterial Frame from Kandinsky to Motherwell - Jewell Homad Johnson
Jewell Homad Johnson [+]
University of Sydney
Description
The Immaterial Frame methodology is introduced in relation to Wassily Kandinsky, the ‘father of abstraction.’ As a Russian Orthodox Christian artist who sought to depict the spiritual through his art, Kandinsky is often mistaken for a Theosophist, his non-representative style easily misinterpreted as secular art. Recognising that post-Enlightenment religiosity is increasingly subjective, it is argued that the religious impulse in art remains a consistent presence, though it is often overlooked due to its secular disguise. The Immaterial Frame, then, seeks to trace abstract and subjective forms of spirituality in art by situating the ambiguous image within its contextual frame. This introductory chapter sets the ground for conversations about the “spiritual” in modern art by first establishing this term in relation to traditional religion, atheism, new religions and spiritualities. The spiritual is then considered in light of traditional forms of religious symbolism, noting that modern abstraction tends towards the immaterial.