Vassily Kandinsky

           
                 Abstract art isn't to everyone's taste, but it must be appreciated, and we have
                                                       Kandinsky to thank for that. 

 He is considered the father of this genre. Which is amazing because he didn't focus on painting until he was 30 years old!  In fact, he studied law and economics previously. He was Russian born, but moved to Germany before WWI and formed The Blue Rider Group, which was a collective of German and Russian painters, writers and musicians. The group was known for a kind of expressionism famous for its rich colours. One of his most famous paintings from this period is also called The Blue Rider. 

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 In 1901 he opened up a school and organization called The Phalanx Group, whose purpose was to offer foreign artists a chance to show their work in exhibitions. One of the schools ideas was to push for the admission of women into art schools and studios. They had not been allowed up that point.

 He had moved back to Russia before the War started and produced many paintings during this time. After the War, he returned to Germany where he became an instructor at the Bauhaus School of Applied Arts. As a teacher, he taught his students not only technique, but how to see past the forms and find deeper meaning in the works. It was at this time that his works took on a more geometric and structured shape. This can be seen in his compositions of towering peaks and floating spherical shapes.

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 After the Bauhaus School was closed because of the 2nd World War, he moved to France where he continued to paint until his death. This last phase of his paintings was what is known as "lyrical abstraction". These painting consisted of many floating objects and fantasy creatures. One thing that all his paintings had in common, be it geometric shapes or magical creatures, was the importance of colour and the relationship to space.

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 His works were not understood right away. Many people thought he was too proud and that he didn't have control over the space. This was not accurate though. He had perfect control and was the first to investigate the inner world.

 He pushed the boundaries of art farther than they had ever been and that is why he will always be considered the father of abstract art.