My friends took upon themselves to publish a brochure of my Suprematist works. In spite of their wish to publish them in a complete form, they succeeded to a certain extent only. The brochure came out in black and gray, with only few of the works. The finances prevented them to be published as they should be. According to the number of black, red and white squares, Suprematism is divided into three stages: black, coloured and white. White forms on white were painted in the last period. All three periods of development occurred between 1913 and 1918. Their evolution was built on a major principle of economy: to transmit the power of the statical or a visible dynamic peace. If up to now all forms have expressed that feeling of connection only by a multitude of interrelations of interconnected forms which make up an organism, then Suprematism has achieved effect in one plane or in one volume by economical geometry. If each form is an expression of a purely utilitarian perfection, then the Suprematist form is nothing else but a sign of the definite utilitarian power of the coming concrete world. The form clearly indicates the dynamic state and seems to point to the airplane the way into space, not by means of engines and clumsy machinery of disastrous construction but by harmonious integration of form into natural activity through magnetic interrelations in a form which may be composed of all elements of natural forces, and therefore no engines, wings, wheels and fuel will be necessary, that is, its body, forming an entity, will not be made of different organisms.
If one can say this, the Suprematist machine will be monolithic with no bounds. The lever is wrought out of all elements, similar to the globe which contains in it the life of perfection, so that each Suprematist body will be included in the natural organization and will form a new satellite; it is only necessary to discover the mutual relations between two bodies rushing through space. The Earth and the Moon — a new Suprematist satellite can be constructed between them, fully equipped, which will travel the orbit charting its own route. Examining Suprematist form in motion, we can conclude that a route leading straight to a planet can be travelled only by spiral motion of interspatial Suprematist satellites that form a straight line of rings from one planet to another. Working on Suprematism I have discovered that its forms have nothing in common with the technology of the Earth’s surface. All technical organisms are nothing but small satellites — the entire living world is ready to fly into space and take a special position. For each such satellite is fitted with reason and able to live its own life. In the vast and chaotic proportions of planetary systems dispersion occurred, some states separated and formed their own life, creating a structural system of the world, linked closely to one another in order to preserve life and prevent disaster. Suprematist forms, as an abstraction, turned into a utilitarian perfection. They are no longer in touch with the Earth and can be observed and studied as each planet separately or the system in its entirety. I propose they have no link to the Earth, but not in the sense of detachment and abandoning; I am only pointing out the construction of prototypes of technical organisms for the Suprematist future, determined by a purely utilitarian necessity — and this necessity remains as a link between them. The purpose of each organism of utilitarian technology is identical, seeking to disclose the area shown on a Suprematist canvas. What in fact is a canvas? What is represented on it? Analyzing the canvas, we see in it a window opening on life. Suprematist canvas shows white rather than blue space. The reason is obvious — blue does not convey the real image of the infinite. Visible rays seem to hit the horizon and cannot penetrate infinity. The Suprematist infinite white enables the visible ray to spread endlessly. We see the bodies in motion. What is their motion like and what are they like — that has to be found out. Once I discovered this system, I began to explore passing forms that must be found and studied in essence — and they came into the order of the world. Discovery requires hard work. Construction of Suprematist forms of the coloured period is not at all linked to aesthetic necessity, either of colour, form or figure, and the same applies to the black and white periods. The two principles of black and white energies, most important in Suprematism, serve to reveal the forms of action. By this I mean only the purely utilitarian necessity of economical reduction which discards colour. The expression of colour or tone does not depend on aesthetics but rather on the generic origin of the material, on composition of elements that make the lump or form of energy. If each form or each generic material represent energy that colours its motion, then in infinite creation the material is transformed and new energetic compounds created; each series of movements modifies form due to reasons of economy, and the colour will change. The city as a form of energy-composition of materials has lost colours and become defined by tones with predominance of black and white.
(For an analysis of the motion of colour as energy my investigations into colour of 1917 should be repeated.) I have mentioned that in Suprematism black and white serve as energies revealing form. This applies to those instances when projects of volume Suprematism are constructed on canvas. In real, tangible activity they have no part, since the expression of form is left to light, and in the forms of real Suprematism only black and white remain and from them all gradations of material energy derive, i.e., a new era of new materials lacking colour and tone is about to arrive.
(I believe that white and black are derived from the coloured gamuts.)
In its historical development, Suprematism has three stages: black, coloured and white. All periods occurred on surfaces as if marking the blueprints of future volume bodies. Indeed, at a given moment Suprematism grows into spatial time of new architectural construction. In this way Suprematism establishes its relation to the Earth, yet due to its economical constructions it changes the architecture of earthly things, uniting in a broad sense with the space of motile monolithic masses of planetary system.
In the course of my research I have found out that in Suprematism there lies the idea of a new machine, a new wheelless, steam- and gas-less drive of the organism.
(This requires substantial argumentation.)
One of the foundations of Suprematism is a natural attitude towards the world as an experience and practice that makes it possible to overcome the bookish world and replace it by experience and activity, involving all of us in omni-creation. The relation of Suprematism towards materials is precisely the opposite from the current emphasis on material culture — an invitation to aestheticism. The processing of the surface of materials is a psychosis of contemporary artists. Instead of executing figures by means of a utilitarian perfection of economical necessity, neglecting natural transformation and applying work where it is technically and not aesthetically necessary, instead of that — there is care for the appearance of an organism.
Three Suprematist squares constitute a certain outlook on the world and its structure. In addition to the purely economical movement of form of the entire new, white world order, the white square encourages the establishment of the world as pure activity, conceived as self-cognition in a purely utilitarian perfection of universal man. In everyday life they have another meaning: the black as the sign of economy, the red as the signal of revolution and the white as pure activity.
The white square I have painted enabled me to explore it and produce a brochure on pure activity.
The black square has established economy that I have introduced as the fifth dimension in art.
The problem of economy is my tower from which I observe and study all phenomena of the objective world: this is essential, and I do it by pen rather than brush. It seems that the brush cannot achieve what the pen can. The brush is disheveled and cannot reach the brain — the pen penetrates deeper.
Strange — three squares showing the way and the white square bearing the white world (the structure of the world), establishing the mark of purity of man’s creative life. How important the colours are as the signals pointing the way.
A number of discussions will appear on colours, on black and white, and these discussions will be crowned by the path of red and white perfection.
(Saying white, I am not speaking about its current political implications.)
In purely coloured motion, three squares indicate the disappearance of colours into white.
Suprematism excludes painting. Painting has been obsolete for a long time and the artist himself is a prejudice from the past.
I have explained these issues in my brochure We as a Utilitarian Perfection.
Since I was given only three pages, it is impossible to expound on everything that has been done. After defining the plan to Suprematist system, I entrust young architects with the further development of architectural Suprematism, as in it I see the new system of architecture.
I myself have retreated into the sphere of thought which is new for me, and when I am able, I shall disclose what I found in the infinite space within a human skull.
Long live the unified system of world architecture on the Earth.
Long live UNOVIS that creates and establishes the new in the world.
Vitebsk, December 15, 1920
Kazimir Malevich, Suprematism
From Kazimir Malevich / Suprematism — Non-objectivity (ed. Slobodan Mijušković), Belgrade 1980, Translated by Maja Šoljan
