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In 1911 he founded the Blue Rider Group
with other famous artists including
Franz Marc, Gabriele Munter, Alexi Jawlensky and Paul Klee. Along with
Die Brucke, it would become a fundamental movement in the advancement
of German Expressionism. The name of the movement came from Kandinsky's
1903 painting, but was also connected to the Marc's love of horses and
Kandinsky's love for the colour blue. There was no central manifesto,
and the aims of the group varied. They were however united in their wish
to use symbolic use of colour and to take a spontaneous, intuitive approach
to painting. They were influenced by Primitivism, which was popular in
Europe at the time. As a result of their contact with other groups, including
Cubists, Fauvists
and Rayonists, they quickly moved towards abstraction. Some of Kandinsky's
works during this period include: Small Pleasures, 1913 (Guggenheim
Museum); Flood Improvisation, 1913 (Stadtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus);
Black Strokes I, 1913 (Guggenheim Museum); Gorge Improvisation,
1914 (Stadtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus) and Fugue, 1914 (Private
collection. The group disbanded in 1914, on the outbreak of World War
1. Two of it's members, Franz Marc and August Macke were killed in combat
during the war. Both Kandinsky and Jawlensky were forced to return to
Russia because of their citizenship.
Between 1914 and 1921 Kandinsky taught
art theory at the Institute of Artistic
Culture in Moscow. In 1921 he was invited to teach at the Bauhaus architecture
and art school in Germany. The same year the new Socialist government
in Russia banned all abstract art, deeming it dangerous to socialist ideals.
In Germany, Kandinsky taught a beginners class for Design and an advanced
course in Art Theory. At this time, circles, straight lines, curves and
other geometrical elements took an increasingly important place in his
paintings. It was a particularly prolific period, which came to fruition
with his painting Yellow - Red – Blue, 1925. In this painting,
the careful positioning of circles, arches and lines worked together to
produce a wonderful harmony. Generally he used colour direct from the
tube, occasionally mixing sand with paint to give a granular texture to
his painting. In 1923 he formed, together with Klee, Jawlensky and Lyonel
Feininger, Die Blaue Vier (Blue Four). They lectured and exhibited
together in America in 1924.
In 1933, on the rise of the Nazi party
in Germany, the Bauhaus was forced to shut its doors. Kandinsky moved
to Paris, where he remained for the rest of his life. No stranger to controversy,
his later works remained controversial, but were admired by younger artists
like Joan Miro and Alberto Magnelli. His reputation was firmly established
when he was introduced to Solomon Guggenheim, who became one of his best
supporters. Between 1936 and 1939 he painted his last 2 major compositions:
Composition IX, 1936 (Musee National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges
Pompidou) and Composition X, 1939 (Kunstzammlung Nordrhein-Westfallen,
Düsseldorf). He continued until his death in 1944. His unrelenting
quest for new forms had carried him to the extremes of geometric abstract
art. This, together with his contribution to the theory and practice of
colour in painting establishes Kandinsky as an important figure in the
history of art during the early 20th
century.
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