O Novykh Sistemakh V Iskusstve (On New Systems in Art)

Kazimir Malevich's illustrated book, O Novykh Sistemakh V Iskusstve (On New Systems in Art), published in 1919, represents a crucial document in the development and articulation of the Russian avant-garde. Classified as an Illustrated Book, this publication is a complex object featuring both theoretical text and original graphics designed by the artist. The volume incorporates a variety of manual printmaking techniques, including one detailed woodcut, six significant lithographs, and several lithographed ornaments that structure the pages.

Malevich, the founder of Suprematism, used this theoretical volume to codify his revolutionary approach to abstraction, advocating for the primacy of pure geometric form and feeling over representational art. The publication's title, On New Systems in Art, reflects his desire to systematize the principles of non-objective creation. The graphic elements, including the six carefully constructed lithographs, often echo the pure geometry central to Suprematist principles, serving as crucial visual examples to accompany the complex arguments presented in the text.

The volume is essential for understanding the dissemination of abstract theory in the post-Revolutionary period. While the book was published during the cultural ferment of 1919, the constituent prints were executed across a nine-year span, from 1910 to 1919, showcasing the chronological evolution of Malevich’s systematic thought as he moved toward complete abstraction. The combination of rigorous philosophical text and revolutionary graphic design makes O Novykh Sistemakh V Iskusstve a cornerstone of modernist art history. This rare and historically important Illustrated Book is preserved within the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, ensuring its continued study by scholars worldwide.