The more abstract is form, the more clear and direct its appeal.
Interpretation
Abstract forms can communicate ideas more clearly and directly than representational forms.
Wassily Kandinsky's quote suggests that when form becomes more abstract, it often has a greater ability to connect with people on an emotional or intellectual level. This idea relates to the power of abstraction in art, where simplification and distortion can evoke deeper feelings and thoughts by stripping away unnecessary details, allowing the essence of the work to shine through.
In practice
In an art class, one might start a discussion about Kandinsky's philosophy on abstraction.
The true work of art is born from the 'artist': a mysterious, enigmatic, and mystical creation. It detaches itself from him, it acquires an autonomous life, becomes a personality, an independent subject, animated with a spiritual breath, the living subject of a real existence of being.
The artist must have something to say, for mastery over form is not his goal but rather the adapting of form to its inner meaning.
With cold eyes and indifferent mind the spectators regard the work. Connoissers admire the "skill" (as one admires a tightrope walker), enjoy the "quality of painting" (as one enjoys a pasty). But hungry souls go hungry away. The vulgar herd stroll through the rooms and pronounce the pictures "nice" or "splendid." Those who could speak have said nothing, those who could hear have heard nothing.
The sound of colors is so definite that it would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with bass notes or dark lake with treble.
All methods are sacred if they are internally necessary. All methods are sins if they are not justified by internal necessity.
Every man who steeps himself in the spiritual possibilities of his heart is a valuable helper in the building of the spiritual pyramid which will someday reach to heaven.
That's the thing: There are so many art songs in jazz. It's a much more rich experience for the singer than people think.
The terrible tragedy for every director is to watch an actor do what you want and not have the camera rolling - and never get it back again. So I always try to roll the camera before anybody's really ready.
But once you've made a song and you put it out there, you don't own it anymore. The public own it. It's their song. It might be their song that they wake up to, or their song they have a shower to, or their song that they drive home to or their song they cry to, scream to, have babies to, have weddings to - like, it isn't your song anymore.
Jazz is the type of music that can absorb so many things and still be jazz.
I think that when you decide to dedicate yourself to creative endeavors and surround yourself with people who are creative, you very quickly learn how hard it is to survive doing those kinds of things, not to mention make a living at them.
Au revoir, jewelled alligators and white hotels, hallucinatory forests, farewell.
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