Theo Van Doesburg: Principles of Neo-Plastic Art
The De Stijl protagonist's elucidation of the basics of neoplasticism
Painter, writer, architect, typographer, art theorist and leader of the De Stijl movement, Theo van Doesburg (1883-1931) was one of the great modernist polymaths, and in this volume of the Bauhausbücher (#6), he attempts to make elementary concepts in the visual arts generally comprehensible for a broad audience.
Van Doesburg's book addresses the "modern artist" of his day, who had to deal with both shifting social paradigms and a changing understanding of art and art theory. Unifying a range of disciplines, van Doesburg describes theory as a necessary consequence of creative practice: artists, he says, "do not write about art but from within art."
Principles of Neo-Plastic Art is a revolutionary synthesis of practice and theory.
Published by Lars Muller Publishers, 2021
Bauhausbücher 6
Hardcover, 68 pages, 1 color and 31 b&w images, 7.3 × 9.2 inches
ISBN: 978-3-03-778629-1