| Neoplasticism | |
| Image Upright: | 1.25 |
| Yearsactive: | 1917–1924 |
| Country: | The Netherlands |
| Majorfigures: | Piet Mondriaan, Theo van Doesburg, Bart van der Leck, Vilmos Huszár, Georges Vantongerloo, Robert van 't Hoff, Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud |
Neoplasticism (or Neo-plasticism), originating from the Dutch , is an avant-garde art theory proposed by Piet Mondrian in 1917 and initially employed by the Dutch Dutch; Flemish: [[De Stijl]] art movement. The most notable proponents of this theory were the painters Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg.[1] Neoplasticism advocated for a purified abstract art, by applying a set of elementary art principles. Thus, a painting that adhered to neoplastic art theory would typically consist of a balanced composition of simple geometric shapes, right-angled relationships and primary colors.
thumb|upright 0.75|Mondrian's 1921 book,
French: Le Néo-PlasticismeMondrian, Van der Leck and Van Doesburg first set out the philosophical basis for the art theory known originally as Dutch; Flemish: "Nieuwe Beelding", but known today as "Neoplasticism", in a new art journal named De Stijl [Style]. The term appears in an editorial by Van Doesburg in the first issue of the journal and in the first of a series of articles by Mondrian entitled Dutch; Flemish: De Nieuwe Beelding in de schilderkunst. The expression "Dutch; Flemish: nieuwe beelding" is believed to derive from the work of Mathieu Schoenmaekers, who used the term in his 1915 book Dutch; Flemish: Het Nieuwe Wereldbeeld,; copies of books by Schoenmaekers were found in Mondrian's library.
Introducing their translation of Mondrian's publications, Holtzman and James wrote:
Some authors have translated Dutch; Flemish: nieuwe beelding as new art.
The term French: néo-plasticisme [neo-plasticism] first appeared in Mondrian's French: Le Néo-plasticisme: Principe Général de l'Equivalence Plastique, [Neo-plasticism: the general principle of plastic equivalence]. Mondrian described the essay as a "condensed adaptation of the ideas in his Trialogue". The book was translated into French with the help of Mondrian's old friend, Dr Rinus Ritsema van Eck. In the 1925 German edition - the fifth in the Bauhaus German: Bauhausbücher series (translated by Rudolf F. Hartogh) - the term French: néo-plasticisme is translated as German: Neue Gestaltung [New Design].
Between 1935 to 1936, Mondrian wrote an essay in French, translated into English with the help of Winifred Nicholson and published in the book Circle: International Survey of Constructive Art as "Plastic Art and Pure Plastic Art (Figurative Art and Non-Figurative Art)". After moving to the United States, Mondrian wrote several articles in English with the help of Harry Holtzman and Charmion von Wiegand, in which he maintained the use of the term 'plastic'.
In his book "De Stijl", Paul Overy reflects on the confusing terminology for English readers:
Notwithstanding this critique, Victoria George provides a succinct explanation of Mondrian's terminology:
See also: Plastic arts. thumb|upright 1.2|Nicolas Poussin: Et in Arcadia ego. Ca. 1638-1640. Louvre.According to neoplastic principles, every work of art (painting, sculpture, building, piece of music, book, etc.,) is created intentionally. It is the product of a series of aesthetic choices and, to a lesser extent, of what the work of art represents. For example, the event depicted in the painting Et in Arcadia ego, by Nicolas Poussin, never took place. Even though the postures of the figures are unnatural, it is convincing and forms a harmonious whole.
Every artist manipulates reality to produce an aesthetically and artistically pleasing harmony. The most realistic painters, such as Johannes Vermeer or Rembrandt van Rijn, use all kinds of artistic means to achieve the greatest possible degree of harmony.
The artists of De Stijl called these 'visual means' "Dutch; Flemish: beeldend" (plastic). However, the artist determines to what extent he allows these 'plastic means' to dominate or whether he remains as close as possible to his subject. There is therefore a duality in painting and sculptureand to a lesser extent in architecture, music and literaturebetween the idea of the artist and the matter of the world around us.
The Dutch neo-plasticists, imbued with Calvinism and Theosophy, preferred the universal over the individual, the spiritual over the natural, the abstract over the real, the non-figurative over the figurative, the intuitive over the rational; all of which were summarised by Mondrian as the superiority of pure plastic over the plastic. The neo-plasticists of De Stijl expressed their vision (plastic) in terms of 'pure' elements, not found in nature: straight lines, right angles, primary colours and precise relationships. This disassociation from nature created a new art, whose essential qualities were spiritual, entirely abstract, and rational.
In his Principles of Neo-Plastic Art, Van Doesburg distinguishes between two types of visual art in art history: works that arise from an internal idea (ideo-plastic art), and works that arise from external matter (physio-plastic art). He demonstrates this with an abstract model of the Egyptian god Horus and a realistic statue of a Diadumenos respectively. When an artist experiences reality, his aesthetic experience can be expressed as either a material depiction, or an abstact formation. Van Doesburg regards depiction as an 'indirect' form of artistic expression; only abstract formation based on an artist's true aesthetic experience of reality represents a pure form of artistic expression, as expressed by Mondrian in all his essays.
According to the new visual art, every work of art consists of a number of basic elements, which they called 'visual means'. According to the artists of De Stijl, these 'visual means', unlike representation, are entirely inherent to art. If one wanted to produce a work of art 'according to art', one had to use only these basic elements. Mondrian wrote:
While Mondrian limited himself to painting, Van Doesburg believed in the collaboration of all arts to achieve a new Gesamtkunstwerk [total work of art]. To achieve this, it was necessary for each art form to establish its own 'visual means'. Only then was the independence of each art form guaranteed. In 1920 he arrived at the following definition: