Spiritualism's Overlooked Role in 20th-Century Art
Marco Senaldi argues that spiritualism, far from being marginal, is a key to understanding modern art. He points to the 1905 theosophical book "Thought-Forms" by Annie Besant with illustrations by C.W. Leadbeater, which features abstract forms that predate Kandinsky's first abstract works (1910). Senaldi traces spiritualist influences through Kandinsky's "Concerning the Spiritual in Art" (1912), Surrealist automatism, Dada, Futurism, František Kupka's Orphic Cubism, Yves Klein's immateriality, Piero Manzoni's Jungian references, Joseph Beuys' shamanism, James Lee Byars' golden liturgies, and Matthew Barney and Björk's mysticism. He notes that recent Milan Design Week installations also nodded to this phenomenon, suggesting a shift from art as individual expression to divine gift.
Key facts
- Thought-Forms by Annie Besant, illustrated by C.W. Leadbeater, was published in 1905.
- The book's abstract illustrations predate Kandinsky's first abstract works (1910).
- Kandinsky's 'Concerning the Spiritual in Art' was published in 1912.
- Spiritualism influenced Surrealism, Dada, Futurism, and Orphic Cubism.
- František Kupka was associated with Orphic Cubism, coined by Apollinaire.
- Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni, Joseph Beuys, James Lee Byars, Matthew Barney, and Björk are cited as later spiritualist artists.
- Milan Design Week 2023 featured installations referencing spiritualism.
- Senaldi proposes spiritualism as a key to understanding modern art, not a marginal episode.
Entities
Artists
- Annie Besant
- C.W. Leadbeater
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Mark Rothko
- František Kupka
- Marcel Duchamp
- Guillaume Apollinaire
- Yves Klein
- Piero Manzoni
- Carl Jung
- Joseph Beuys
- James Lee Byars
- Matthew Barney
- Björk
- Marco Senaldi
Institutions
- Artribune
Locations
- Milan
- Italy