Kazimir Malevich's 1916 Suprematist Composition featured on 1970s Television album cover

Kazimir Malevich's 1916 painting Suprematist Composition was reproduced on the album cover for the band Television during the 1970s. The Russian avant-garde artist's abstract geometric work became associated with the American rock group's visual identity decades after its creation. Malevich's pioneering Suprematist movement, which began around 1915, emphasized basic geometric forms and limited color palettes. The album cover adaptation represents one of many 20th-century cultural appropriations of early modernist art. This connection between avant-garde painting and popular music was documented in a May 21, 2015 post on the artcritical website. The original artwork represents Malevich's radical departure from representational art toward pure abstraction. Television's use of the image introduced Malevich's visual language to new audiences beyond traditional art contexts. The band formed in New York City in 1973 and released their debut album Marquee Moon in 1977.