Hilma af Klint: Visionary Paintings for the Future

The abstract mystical masterpieces of Swedish painter Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) were introduced to the general public through the 2018 exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, titled "Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future." This volume, based on a seminar held at the Guggenheim Museum during the opening of this acclaimed exhibition, compiles the insights of the seminar's contributors, alongside reproductions of works, archival photographs, and images from af Klint's journals.

"Hilma af Klint: Visionary" explores the social and spiritual movements that appeared at the turn of the 20th century, inspiring the pioneers of modernism and abstract art: Kandinsky, Mondrian, Malevich, and af Klint herself. The volume examines the zeitgeist that inspired such an eruption in abstract art, and the conditions that gave rise to Hilma af Klint's unique artistic vision.

Academics and experts Julia Voss, Tracey Bashkoff, Isaac Lubelsky, Linda Dalrymple Henderson, and Marco Pasi each contribute a different perspective to the understanding of Hilma af Klint's life and art. Voss analyzes af Klint's biography, identifying five important events that shaped her artistic development. Bashkoff presents af Klint's connection to Hilla Rebay and her plans for the building of a temple. Lubelsky traces the origins of theosophy in New York, a movement that profoundly influenced af Klint's spiritual beliefs and artistic practice. Henderson examines the interplay between the occult and science, and how it informed af Klint's mystical explorations. Pasi considers the changing role of esotericism in culture, and how it contributed to the emergence of af Klint's unique artistic vision.

Together, these diverse perspectives shed light on the social, spiritual, and cultural context that gave rise to Hilma af Klint's extraordinary abstract paintings, which were ahead of their time and are now recognized as groundbreaking contributions to the history of modern art. The volume offers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the life and art of this visionary Swedish painter, whose work has only recently begun to receive the widespread recognition it deserves.

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