malevich the grinder (principle of flickering) 1912-13 Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935)
Kazimir Malevich – malevich the grinder (principle of flickering) 1912-13
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Painter: Kazimir Malevich
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This painting has an addition to its title, The Flicker Principle. What is it about? Apparently it’s the fact that in different positions, the word strobe picture shows a foot pushing on the pedal of a sharpening machine. Similarly, the movement of the sharpener’s hands is shown. One of them brings the knife to the machine, the other presses the blade against the sharpening wheel. And if the outline of the shoulder can be guessed, then it is simply impossible to understand where the head of the working man is and what kind of face he has.
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Description of Kazimir Malevich’s painting "The Sharper"
This painting has an addition to its title, The Flicker Principle. What is it about? Apparently it’s the fact that in different positions, the word strobe picture shows a foot pushing on the pedal of a sharpening machine. Similarly, the movement of the sharpener’s hands is shown.
One of them brings the knife to the machine, the other presses the blade against the sharpening wheel. And if the outline of the shoulder can be guessed, then it is simply impossible to understand where the head of the working man is and what kind of face he has. Only the thick red mustache is discernible. Apparently, Kazimir Malevich wanted to show the turn of the master’s head.
Critics attribute this painting to a style that combines futurism and cubism, calling it futurocubism. The principle borrowed from Cubism is the repetition, if not calling it a piling up, of homogeneous objects. On the right we see something that looks like stairs. On the left are some rails and bottle necks which, when looked at more closely, suddenly turn into the usual banisters with balusters. Behind the sharpener’s figure I can make out a yellow table. Near the railing is a white vase.
The only things depicted without repetition and ruggedness of lines are the wheel and the sharpening wheel. The artist has only given them some motion with the help of some techniques.
About this kind of art, of course, can be argued for a long time, but it is impossible not to agree with the fact that this picture bears a certain mood, and it is very positive. It’s inspiring, it’s beautiful. It has the main thing that distinguishes a masterpiece - emotion and movement.
In a true creation, there has to be action, compressed into the moment. And this is what Malevich managed to embody in his painting The Sharpener (The Principle of Flickering). Isn’t this how sparks of red-hot metal flicker when a blunt knife is in the hands of a master? Isn’t that how a spinning wheel flashes?
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To the left, a series of angular planes converge toward an implied central axis. These shapes are rendered in a palette of muted blues, grays, and browns, punctuated by flashes of orange that introduce visual tension. The artist’s use of color is not descriptive; instead, it serves to accentuate the fractured nature of the depicted subject matter.
The overall effect is one of intense movement and disorientation. Theres an impression of a machine in operation, its components blurred and distorted by speed or vibration. This isnt a straightforward representation but rather an attempt to convey the sensory experience of witnessing such machinery – the visual disruption caused by rapid motion and the overwhelming complexity of industrial processes.
The arrangement of forms suggests multiple perspectives simultaneously presented, challenging traditional notions of spatial coherence. The artist seems less interested in depicting the machine’s physical appearance than in capturing its essence as a force of energy and transformation. This focus on dynamism and abstraction hints at an exploration of modern technologys impact on perception and experience – a world increasingly defined by speed, fragmentation, and mechanical reproduction.
The dark horizontal band along the bottom edge acts as a grounding element, preventing the composition from floating entirely adrift in its chaotic arrangement.