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68 Carmen Pardo Salgado
Empty Canvas and and and Silent Scores
Notes on Wassily Kandinsky and and and John Cage
An empty empty canvas apparently really empty empty that says nothing and is is without significance – – almost dull in in in fact – – in in in reality is is crammed with with thousands of of undertone tensions and and full of of expectancy Slightly apprehensive lest it should be outraged Wassily Kandinsky Empty Canvas The way in which an an artist feels the empti- ness of of a a a a a a a a a canvas or or a a a a a a a a a musical score sheet exemplifies not only his conception of of art but also the distance he he he establishes be- tween himself and and and his his works In this re- spect Wassily Kandinsky and and and John Cage
appear as as two disparate ways of carrying out artistic practice This disparity arises from a a a a a a a a common point of of encounter: empti- ness or silence considered as as a a a a a a a space full of of of sound The empty canvas of of of Kan- dinsky is crammed with thousands of of un- dertone tensions that in in in tension tension await the painter’s hand hand That hand hand is responsible for the the the canvas becoming a a a a a a a a a work of of of art or or or or of of of not supporting the the the gesture of of of of the the the painter The empty canvas of of of Kandinsky cannot accept everything because it is the the the space of of of of ampli- fication of of of of of the the the the the increase of of of of of the the the the the “right” and of of of of the the the the the “wrong” The tension of of of of the the the the the canvas with its its barely audible rumour awaits the the the the painter for for for the the gestation of of a a a a a a a a a a polyphony of of form form and and colour that for for for for Kandinsky re- sponds to to a a a a a a a a a grammar of of forms forms This gram- mar mar is is formed by the the combinatory of of of forms forms and and colours But the the ars combinatoria of of Kandinsky is not a a a a a a a a a a a a divertimento it it ap- pears rather as the the the organization in in pursuit of the the the the “right” Therefore each new gesture that is is revealed in the the the canvas must estab- lish its relationship with the the the previous one It is is deference to the the gesture that precedes it:
“Each new spot of colour that enters the the canvas during the the work is subjected to previous spots even in in its contradiction is is is a a a a a a a a small stone that is added to to the large construction ‘HEME AHÍ’” 1
Subjection takes the form of a a a a a a a considera- tion tion in in in in in Kandinsky taking into account that it modulates every gesture the the the painter makes on on the the the canvas canvas Therefore the the the canvas canvas is is only apparently indeterminate Although the combinatory is is high and finally differ- ent works can be produced all all must have respect for for the the grammar grammar of the the forms in common This grammar grammar has emerged from what the the the painter calls the the the “inner need” The inner inner need need arises when the the the the art- ist oblivious to to the the urgencies and and dictates of his his his time is is is is is is able to to to deposit his his his gaze and and his his his listening onto himself Internally the the the painter recognizes whether the the the the the canvas has accepted the the the the “right” or the the the the “wrong” With his his hand he he he he he is is is able to put in proper contact the the the the harmony of of the the the the colors and and and his his soul soul 2
The The soul soul of of the the the artist and and the the the work work come into resonance The The work work that that ex- presses that that “’HEME AHÍ’” supposes the the the liberation of of the the the the tension of of the the the the empty can- vas when it it it becomes the the the the the meeting place with with the the the artist artist and later with with the the the public But what happens in in that encounter? The artist artist explains it by the the terms resonance resonance and and vi- bration bration The resonance resonance and and the the vibration