A parallel between color and music can only be relative β just as a violin can give warm shades of tone, so yellow has shades, which can be expressed by various instruments.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that both color and music share a subjective quality that allows them to evoke similar feelings and interpretations.
Wassily Kandinsky's quote illustrates the relationship between color and music, emphasizing that both art forms can elicit emotional responses that are personal and relative to the viewer or listener. He implies that just as a violin's warm tones can resonate with a palette of colors, certain shades like yellow can evoke various feelings akin to musical expressions, highlighting the interconnected nature of sensory experiences.
In practice
An art critique discussing the emotional impact of a painting may quote Kandinsky to articulate the synergy between visual art and music.
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.
The more abstract is form, the more clear and direct its appeal.
All methods are sacred if they are internally necessary. All methods are sins if they are not justified by internal necessity.
To sing of Wars, of Captains, and of Kings/Of Cities founded, Common-wealths begun/For my mean Pen are too superior things.
Eraserhead is my most spiritual movie. No one understands when I say that, but it is.
When you write about sports, you're allowed to engage in mischief. Nothing is at stake.
Many of the artists who have represented Negro life have seen only the comic, the ludicrous side of it, and have lacked sympathy with and appreciation for the warm, big heart that dwells within such a rough exterior.
The kind of writing that matters most to me is something you don't learn about. It's constantly coming out of what I don't know rather than what I do know.
What the really great artists do is they're entirely themselves. They're entirely themselves. They've got their own vision, they have their own way of fracturing reality, and if it's authentic and true, you will feel it in your nerve endings.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.