The Semiotics analysis in Avant-Garde art piece of Kazimir Malevich

Abstract

This article is an attempt to analyze eight Kazimir Malevich’s Avant-Garde’s arts through investigation of the symbolic forms and the meaning of symbols by using Roland Barthe’s theory of semiotics.

The findings marked that, to create his artistic work, Malevich tries to diminish the empirical meaning of the shape of an object, whilst creates a new meaning to a geometric figure which represents purity. Malevich disintegrated of the object under the concept of “The zero of form”. Furthermore, the meaning of an object comes from the interpretation of the audience’s perspective, and expression on visual art composition in terms of colors, lines, geometric shapes, etc. Malevich attempted to create what he called “a pure living art.” By working entirely in abstract painting. He uses universal geometric forms that had no relationship to the figurative objects in external world. Malevich elaborates this method as a way to symbolize state power which conveyed state’s policies to its people by trying to define its meaning in a universal manner. Simultaneously, he tried to escape from the framework of the socialist realism that effected artists creation under the government’s policy of promoting government’s work. Geometric shapes, used by Malevich in the second phase of his creation, were symbolized as the highest level of creativity in his Suprematist concept, representing his attitude on his work, which could be interpreted into two aspects: pro and con, causing ambiguity in objectives in the establishment. However, when analyzed with the Barthes’ theory, a sign of Malevich’s manifesto in Suprematist meaning had appeared. He put visual language of flat geometric form that was considered as a key, ‘Black Square’, to declared that, eventually, he remained faithful to his Suprematist principles although his expression was limited. Therefore, he used the symbol that solely signified idea. Malevich’s concept is consistent with Barthe in terms of the objectification of symbolic meanings in visual arts, the use of senses based on individuals’ aesthetic experiences as well as the meaning analysis process which can be compared to an empty sign whose meaning relies on a particular context. Malevich’s idea is to authorize the subject in representing new concepts in the manner that subject does not necessarily need to have objectify knowledge that consistent to social meanings. He emphasize more on the audience’s feelings towards the work than anything else. This marked a modern aesthetics that was originated in Russia, also as the starting point for the new definition of the creation which was not based on the art of the past.