Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was born in Moscow. He was trained in law and economics and a professor of both when at age 30 his passion for color changed his life. This passion was amplified while studying the brilliant colors of Russian folk art and architecture. He felt a brightly painted house, no matter how humble, could cause a visitor to feel they had stepped into a painting at the threshold.

In this early work of his decades-long pursuit of art, Kandinsky is studying the relationship between colors and how placement changes what we see and feel. His body of work is of the Expressionism Movement, and he is considered a pioneer of abstraction in Western Art.

This complicated and sometimes easily discounted piece has potential to bring many values of our Advent season and the community of Christmas to mind. Here we see diversity, even of mood, honored in each square and circles reaching for connection around and through many highly saturated color combinations. A deeply spiritual artist, Kandinsky often spoke of the deeper human meaning offered by visual art and music. Square by square in this offering, he can invite us into a consideration of our activities, our relationships, our traditions, our values, our faith. (This does require looking past our first quick glance and anything having to do with eggs!)

May we each find questions in this piece and move toward our own imagined colors of God’s love and care born into our world. These are ours to share around and around our own circles each day. Amen.

In gratitude, faith and hope,

Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church