Sounds
Category: Books,Literature & Fiction,Poetry
Sounds Details
Review “I remember buying a copy of Sounds when it was first published in English, and the thrill of discovering this work, page by page. Kandinsky’s synthesis of abstraction and representation, of sound and meaning, remains an exciting challenge for artists and poets today. Sounds is unlike any other book. It belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in abstract art, poetry, and the unpredictable cavorting of the two.”—John Yau, author of Bijoux in the Dark“Possibly the most beautiful, innovative, and influential artist’s book of the twentieth century. A landmark that synthesizes Kandinsky’s pioneering abstractions with his radical sound poems and experimental typography.”—Starr Figura, The Museum of Modern Art, New York Read more Book Description Now in an updated English edition with full color illustrations, Kandinsky’s fascinating and witty artist's book represents a crucial moment in the painter’s move toward abstraction. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
Reviews
This is Kandinsky's effort at writing poetry, but don't expect to find it written in a standard style or form. It is my understanding that the original was published in German. This is a translated English version. Kandinsky is known as a German Expressionist painter, but these pieces of small written poems border on being works of Surrealism, if not outright so. The stories seem nonsensical, because they are, at times, so dream like. (I would like to see an art film made of each of these small scenarios.) Unfortunately, the color woodblock prints are printed in black and white. I think I once read that the original version of this book was also printed in Russian and had the prints in different locations than the German version. If that is true, then the prints may have been placed in the book to stand on their own and not to serve as illustrations for the written works. Most of the prints are and were apparently originally printed in black and white. The ones in color stand out because they are composed of multiple grays. I am pleased to own this book after seeing and checking out the hardback copy owned by the library at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville campus) many times.