In
1916 Rozanova married Kruchenykh and the same year she joined the "Supremus"
group, headed by Malevich. Perhaps influenced by Malevich's suprematist
experiments, Rozanova created some abstract compositions which further
developed the dynamic element of her earlier works. They show flat, polygonal
regions in bright colors.
However, Rozanova's "suprematist" style differed from Malevich's -- it was not
only more decorative, but it was not based on the philosophical, mystical
ideas (after Sarabianov). In Varvara Stepanova's words, "Malevich constructed
his works on the [basis of--A.B.] composition of the square while Rozanova
constructed hers on the basis of color" (Yablonskaia, 83). In 1917-18,
Rozanova created a number of non-objective color compositions, which she
called "colorpainting" (cvetopis'). These compositions were a completely new
stage in the development of the Russian avant-garde art; unfortunately, after
Rozanova's death, they did not find any continuators in Russia. Only after the
WW II, similar color experiments appeared in the American color-field
paintings of the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in the works of Barnett Newman.
A good example of this type of painting is Rozanova's most famous oil,
Untitled (Green Stripe), which features a rough cream-colored canvas
surface cut by broad perpendicular green stripe.
After the revolution, Rozanova, thanks to her early ties to the Stroganov School, devoted her energies to the organization of industrial art in the country. She was involved with IZO Narkompros (Arts Department of the People's Commisariat of Education) and the Proletcult. Through personal persuasion and by travelling to various locations, she organized Free Art Studios (Svomas) in several provincial cities. Before she died, Rozanova drew up a plan to reorganize the museum of industrial art in Moscow. Her efforts to combine art and industrial production were soon continued and expanded by the Constructivists. When she was diagnosed ill, she was actually engaged in putting up banners and slogans for the anniversary celebration of the October Revolution. Olga Rozanova died of diphtheria a week before this event. A few weeks later, she had a posthumous exhibition, which included 250 paintings, ranging in style from Impressionism through Neo-primitivism, Cubism and Futurism to Suprematism. Although Rozanova died young, she was able to experiment widely and reach non-objectivity following her own, individual path. In the meantime, she created many remarkable paintings. Among the best known are Still Life with Scrolls (1911), The Harbor [Port] (1912), Still Life: Vase (1912), The Pub (1913), Portrait of a Woman in a Green Dress (1913), The City (1913), Writing Desk (1914), Geography (1914-15), Workbox (1915), The Metronome (1915), Non-Objective Composition (1916), Suprematism (1916), Color Composition (1917), and Untitled (Green Stripe) (1917-1918). Equally remarkable is a series of painting of playing cards, later used as one-tone illustrations for Transrational Pook: the boldly-colored Simultaneous Representation of a King of Hearts and a King of Diamonds, The Queen of Spades, The King of Clubs, and The Jack of Hearts(all 1915). [M. P-T. and A.B.]
Vasilii
Kandinskii (1866-1944)
