Why is this painting of a black square famous? - Allison Leigh

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Ivana Krivokuca

On December 19th, 1915, an exhibition of radical artworks

Devetnaestog decembra 1915. godine, izložba radikalnih umetničkih dela

opened in what’s known today as St. Petersburg, Russia.

je otvorena u današnjem Sankt Peterburgu u Rusiji.

Many of these pieces pushed the boundaries of form and style,

Mnoga od ovih dela su pomerala granice oblika i stila,

but one was particularly controversial.

ali jedno je bilo naročito kontroverzno.

Hanging in the room’s corner— symbolically occupying a space

U ćošku prostorije - simbolički zauzimajući prostor

traditionally reserved for religious icons—

koji je tradicionalno rezervisan za religijske ikone -

was Kazimir Malevich’s “Black Square.”

visio je „Crni kvadrat” Kazimira Maljeviča.

One attendee scoffed at the painting’s simplicity,

Jedan posetilac se narugao jednostavnosti slike,

claiming that even a child could have done it.

tvrdeći da ju je i dete moglo naslikati.

Another went further, writing that the “Black Square”

Drugi je otišao još dalje, zabeleživši da će nas „Crni kvadrat”

would “lead us all to our doom.”

„sve odvesti u propast”.

Such critiques have plagued paintings like Malevich’s ever since,

Slične kritike su otad kinjile slike nalik Maljevičevoj,

their outward simplicity inspiring outrage and confusion.

čija je pojavna jednostavnost podsticala zgražavanje i zbunjenost.

But a closer look reveals that not only is Malevich’s work

Međutim, pažljivije posmatranje otkriva da ne samo da je Maljevičevo delo

more complicated than it first appears—

složenije nego što se čini u prvi mah -

it may not even be a painting of a black square at all.

već se možda uopšte i ne radi o slici crnog kvadrata.

Despite its name, you’ll find the painting’s central form

Uprkos njenom nazivu, otkrićete da centralni oblik slike

is neither perfectly black nor perfectly square.

nije savršeno crn, niti je savršen kvadrat.

Its sides aren't parallel or equal in length,

Njegove strane nisu paralelne, niti jednake dužine,

and the shape isn't quite centered on the canvas.

a oblik nije baš pozicioniran u središtu platna.

Instead, Malevich placed the form slightly off-kilter,

Umesto toga, Maljevič je smestio oblik blago iskošeno,

giving it the appearance of movement

pružajući mu iluziju pokreta,

and the white surrounding it a living, vibrating quality.

dok zbog bele pozadine ima svojstvo životnosti, vibriranja.

Technical analysis has revealed that Malevich already used the canvas

Tehnička analiza je otkrila da je Maljevič već koristio ovo platno

for two other paintings.

za dve druge slike.

Today, cracks in the aging paint— known as craquelure—

Danas, pukotine u staroj boji - poznate kao krakelire -

reveal fragments of dusty yellows, vibrant reds, and faded emeralds,

otkrivaju fragmente prigušenih žutih boja, živahnih crvenih i izbledelih smaragdnih,

hinting at all the stages Malevich went through

nagoveštavajući sve faze kroz koje je Maljevič prošao

before arriving at the painting’s final form.

dok nije stigao do finalnog oblika slike.

His creative process is also evident in the vigorous brushstrokes,

Njegov kreativni proces je vidljiv i u energičnim potezima četkicom,

which are displayed proudly and move in a multitude of directions.

koji su odvažno predstavljeni i kreću se u bezbroj pravaca.

Fragments of hair and Malevich’s fingerprints

Fragmenti kose i Maljevičevi otisci prstiju

are also ingrained in the paint,

su takođe utisnuti u boje,

adding both metaphorical and literal texture to the work.

dajući, kako metaforički tako i doslovno, teksturu delu.

In many ways, Malevich’s whole history is embedded in the “Black Square.”

Na razne načine, celokupna Maljevičeva istorija je ugrađena u „Crni kvadrat”.

Born to Polish-speaking parents in Ukraine,

Rođen u Ukraijini od roditelja koji su govorili poljski,

he lived there until he finally saved enough money to afford the trip to Moscow.

tu je živeo sve dok nije dovoljno uštedeo da priušti put u Moskvu.

Upon arrival in 1904, he plunged into all the avant-garde styles

Po dolasku 1904, zaronio je u sve avangardne stilove

swirling around the city.

koji su kružili gradom.

He painted in the style of Impressionism and absorbed Post-Impressionism.

Slikao je u stilu impresionizma i upijao je postimpresionizam.

He passed through a Futurist phase and then became influenced by the Cubists.

Prošao je kroz futurističku fazu, a potom je bio pod uticajem kubista.

And by 1913, he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

A do 1913, bio je na ivici proboja.

Malevich realized that even the most cutting-edge artists

Meljevič je shvatio da i najsavremeniji umetnici

were still just painting objects from everyday life.

i dalje prosto slikaju predmete iz svakodnevice.

But he was irresistibly drawn to what he called

Međutim, njega je neodoljivo privlačilo nešto što je nazivao

the “desert, where nothing is real except feeling.”

„pustinjom u kojoj ništa nije stvarno osim osećanja.”

And so, feeling became the substance of his work.

Te je osećanje postalo suština njegovog dela.

The result was the “Black Square” and a new style he named “Suprematism,”

Rezultat toga je bio „Crni kvadrat” i novi stil koji je nazvao „suprematizam”,

where feeling alone was made supreme.

u kome je samo osećanje stavljeno na pijedestal.

This would be achieved through what he called non-objectivity—

Ovo se postiže nečim što je nazvao neobjektivnošću -

a departure from the world of objects so extreme it went beyond abstraction.

toliko ekstremnim udaljavanjem od sveta predmeta da je prevazilazilo apstrakciju.

Malevich believed the simplification and distortion that characterized abstract art

Maljevič je verovao da su jednostavnost i izobličenost

koje su karakterisale apstraktnu umetnost naposletku besmisleni

was ultimately meaningless,

since these styles were still focused on depicting real world objects.

jer su se ovi stilovi i dalje fokusirali na prikazivanje stvarnih predmeta.

To him, only the completely non-representational would truly be new.

Smatrao je da bi jedino potpuna nereprezentativnost bila istinska novina.

While this radical approach alarmed critics,

Iako je ovaj radikalni pristup uznemirio kritiku,

Malevich was undeterred.

Maljevič se nije dao pokolebati.

He spent the next decade explaining his Suprematist works in essays,

Proveo je narednu deceniju objašnjavajući svoja suprematistička dela u esejima

and teaching his ideas to a new generation of artists.

i podučavajući svoje ideje budućoj generaciji umetnika.

But after Stalin's rise to power in the 1920s,

Međutim, dolaskom Staljina na vlast 1920-ih,

avant-garde approaches like Suprematism were deemed unproductive

avangardni pristupi poput suprematizma su ocenjeni kao neproduktivni

to the Communist state.

za komunističku državu.

And eventually, it became dangerous to produce any art outside Socialist Realism—

I vremenom je postalo opasno stvarati umetnost izvan socrealizma -

an enforced artistic style celebrating Soviet leaders and heroic workers.

nametnutog umetničkog stila koji je slavio sovjetske vođe i radnike heroje.

In 1930, Malevich was arrested by Soviet authorities

Godine 1930, sovjetske vlasti su uhapsile Maljeviča

for spreading subversive ideas.

zbog širenja subverzivnih ideja.

Under severe pressure, he returned to figuration,

Pod ozbiljnim pritiskom, vratio se figuraciji,

painting peasants standing robotically in barren spaces.

slikajući seljake kako nalik robotima stoje na pustim prostorima.

But even these later paintings retained glimmers of his earlier ideas.

Međutim, čak su i ove kasnije slike zadržale iskre njegovih ranijih ideja.

Gradually, the figures lost their arms and faces—

Vremenom su figure izgubile ruke i lica -

disintegrating as mechanization gripped the countryside.

dezintegrišući se dok je mehanizacija osvajala sela.

During this time, Malevich also painted a self-portrait

Tokom tog vremena, Maljevič je slikao i autoportret

that seemed to have abandoned Suprematism completely.

kojim se činilo da u potpunosti napušta suprematizam.

But his open hand formed a quadrilateral,

Međutim, njegova otvorena ruka oblikuje četvorougao,

and in the painting's corner was a tiny black square.

a u uglu slike je bio sićušni crni kvadrat.

This was the symbol of a man who suffered through wars and revolutions,

Bio je to simbol čoveka koji je ispaštao kroz ratove i revolucije,

but never stopped pushing to create a new art—

ali nikad nije prestao da nastoji da stvara novu umetnost -

a refuge of pure feeling that lay beyond the burden of objects

utočište za čista osećanja koja počivaju izvan tereta predmeta

and the suffering of a divided world.

i patnje podeljenog sveta.