KLEE AND GREATER GREECE

'ΟΜΦΑΛΟ-ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΗ ΔΙΑΛΕΞΗ' ΤΟΥ KLEE ΚΑΙ Η ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗ ΜΕ ΤΟ ΡΟΔΙ ή 'ΘΕΑ ΤΟΥ ΒΕΡΟΛΙΝΟΥ' ωιμέ! - Omphalo-centric Lecture (Omphalo-centrischer Vortrag), Paul Klee, 1939  ·  Gemälde  ·  Picture ID: 684692, Expressionism

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"Paul Klee and the Mystic Center" is an essay by Robert Knott that interprets Klee's art and philosophy as a quest for a "mystic center" of creation, drawing from Klee's 1924 lecture where he spoke of an artist's mission to "penetrate as far as may be toward that secret place where primeval power nurtures all evolution". Knott connects this idea to Klee's 1939 painting, Omphalo-Centric Lecture, suggesting it is a visual manifestation of this pursuit of the origin of creative thought.

Key Points from the Essay:

The Artist's Mission:

Knott highlights Klee's belief that the artist's role is to explore the fundamental source of creation.

The Mystic Center:

Klee's concept of a "mystic center" refers to the hidden place in nature where all things originate and evolve.

Omphalo-Centric Lecture:

This 1939 painting serves as a central piece of evidence for Knott's argument, symbolizing the journey toward this core creative power.

Pathways to the Center:

Knott argues that Klee explored various artistic paths to reach this "mystic center" of thought.

In essence, Robert Knott's "Paul Klee and the Mystic Center" is an art historical interpretation that explores Klee's deep philosophical engagement with the source of all creativity through the lens of his lectures and artwork, most notably his painting Omphalo-Centric Lecture.

Knott, R. (1978). "Paul Klee and the Mystic Center," Art Journal 38(2), 114–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043249.1979.10793482 

In his Jena Lecture of 1924 Paul Klee said, “It is the artist's mission to penetrate as far as may be toward that secret place where primeval power nurtures all evolution. … In the womb of nature in the primal ground of creation where the secret key to all things lies hidden.”1 Klee's Omphalo-Centric Lecture of 1939 (Fig. 1) can be seen as a restatement of what Klee felt was the mission of all artists: to move toward this mystic center as the beginning of all creative thought. And Klee, as much as any other artist of the 20th century, sought the many paths that would lead him there.

In his Jena Lecture of 1924 Paul Klee said, "It is the artist's mission to penetrate as far as may be toward that secret place where primeval power nurtures all evolution. ... In the womb of nature in the primal ground of creation where the secret key to all things lies hidden.1 Klee's Omphalo-Centric Lecture of 1939 (Fig. 1) can be seen as a restatement of what Klee felt was the mission of all artists: to move toward this mystic center as the beginning of all creative thought. And Klee, as much as any other artist of the 20th century, sought the many oaths that would lead him there. In his early lectures to the Bauhaus Klee describes this creative center as a point which he associated with the center or navel of the human figure: "When central importance is given to a point: this is the cosmogenetic moment. To this occurrence corresponds the idea of every sort of beginning."2 Nearer the end of his life, Omphalo-Centric Lecture acts as a summary of these thoughts and lectures about creativity. The mysterious figure in this painting faces us directly, and in its cupped hand we see a glowing navel, the internal divine light from which all knowledge spreads. The navel has further importance because of its obvious associations with the womb, birth, creation, and the continuation of life. As the Omphalos it is also a life/death symbol of particular significance to Klee, because he had a terminal illness and continually dealt with images of death in this last full year of his life. For Klee, death was not an ending but a passage beyond, which could only bring him closer to the creative center that he so actively sought during his lifetime. Klee's painting has a specific visual source in the beautiful rnid4th century B.C. Berlin /Core (Aphrodite of the Pomegranate) (fig. 2) in the Staathche Museum.3 There are obvious similarities in the hands, which enclose the circular form (pomegranate, navel) at the center of the belly. And although Klee has reversed the hands, there is still a trace of what could be the original position of the left hand: an outline form which echoes the shape of the left hand in the Greek sculpture. Other parallels exist, not only in the overall shape, the broad shoulders and tapering cylindrical form of the body, but also in specific details such as mouth, ear lobe, and earrings. Beyond the specific visual relationships, the association with this ancient fertility goddess leads us to probe further into the meaning of Klee's painting. In analyzing a painting such as Omphalo-Centric Lecture we must consider the full significance of the title. As so often in Klee's work, the relationship between title and image evokes those mysteries which elude the powers of represen-tation. Klee had great powers of observation, but his greatest vision was inward. And no matter how carefully the formal structure has been worked out, there is always the evocative power of a less tangible, more mysterious spirit in his work, a power which speaks out of his personal relationship to ..

May be an image of text that says 'Fig. 2. Aphrodite of the Pomegranate, 570-550 B.. Collection Staatliche Museen, Berlin.'

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kor%C3%A8_%28sculpture%29#/media/Fichier:Mus%C3%A9e_de_Pergame_(Berlin)_(6349360765).jpg

Η εικόνα απεικονίζει ένα άγαλμα γνωστό ως η «Αφροδίτη με το Ρόδι» ή «Η Θεά του Βερολίνου».

Το άγαλμα χρονολογείται μεταξύ 570-550 π.Χ.

Ανήκει στη συλλογή των Κρατικών Μουσείων του Βερολίνου (Staatliche Museen, Berlin).

Αποτελεί ένα σημαντικό παράδειγμα αρχαϊκής ελληνικής γλυπτικής.

Η μορφή κρατάει ένα ρόδι, ένα σύμβολο γονιμότητας και αναγέννησης στην αρχαία ελληνική μυθολογία.

Paul Klee, Artificial Symbiosis, c. 1934 Watercolour and gouache

Paul Klee's Artificial Symbiosis (Künstliche Symbiose) is a 1934 artwork created with watercolor and gouache on paper, and it is held in a private collection in Switzerland. The term "artificial symbiosis" suggests Klee's continued interest in combining different artistic elements or even exploring the connection between the artistic and natural worlds in his characteristic style of blending realism with abstraction.

About the artwork

Title: Artificial Symbiosis (Künstliche Symbiose)

Artist: Paul Klee (1879–1940)

Date: 1934

Medium: Watercolor and gouache on paper

Location: Private Collection, Switzerland

Artistic context

Klee was known for his exploration of art theory, his belief that art makes the invisible visible, and his ability to blend various techniques and surfaces.

The concept of "artificial symbiosis" aligns with his broader artistic philosophy of creating a reality behind visible things, moving beyond mere realism to explore latent realities.

Paul Klee and Greek connection Paul Klee had a deep and abiding interest in the art and culture of ancient Greece, as evidenced by his extensive study of Greek literature and his continued reading of Greek poetry throughout his life. His fascination with the ancient world even extended to his artwork, with some scholars noting parallels between his work and ancient Greek sculpture, such as the Aphrodite of the Pomegranate.

Klee's Scholarly Connection

Studying Greek: Klee was a dedicated student of the Greek language.

Reading Greek Poetry: He continued to read Greek poetry in its original language for his entire life, showing a deep engagement with the classical tradition.

Artistic Connections

Inspiration from Sculpture:

While not his sole influence, some of Klee's figures and stylistic elements show a connection to ancient Greek sculpture.

Specific Examples:

Scholars have drawn comparisons between Klee's work, such as his painting "Omphalo-Centric Lecture," and the shapes and details found in Greek sculptures like the Aphrodite of the Pomegranate.

In summary, Paul Klee's connection to Greece was both academic and artistic, rooted in his lifelong study of the language and his eventual incorporation of ancient forms into his unique and expressive art.

Η εικόνα απεικονίζει τον πίνακα του Paul Klee, "Dynamik eines Kopfes" (Δυναμική μιας Κεφαλής). 

Πρόκειται για έναν πίνακα λάδι σε καμβά που δημιουργήθηκε το 1934. 

Ο πίνακας εκφράζει το ενδιαφέρον του Klee για την ανασύνθεση ενός προσώπου μέσω της συσσώρευσης γεωμετρικών σχημάτων. 

Η χρήση βασικών χρωμάτων (κίτρινο, μπλε, κόκκινο) που επικαλύπτονται για να δημιουργήσουν συμπληρωματικά (πράσινο, πορτοκαλί, βιολετί) είναι ένα χαρακτηριστικό γνώρισμα. 

Η κυρίαρχη χρήση του κόκκινου χρώματος σε διάφορες αποχρώσεις, σε συνδυασμό με άλλα χρώματα, δημιουργεί μια ζωντανή απεικόνιση. 

Ο πίνακας εκτίθεται σήμερα στο Ίδρυμα Βασίλη και Ελίζας Γουλανδρή στην Αθήνα.