The teacher of Jacques Lacan, André Breton, and Albert Camus, Kojève defines art as the act of extracting beauty from objective reality. His poetic text, “The Concrete Paintings of Kandinsky,” advocates for non-representational art as the unique manifestation of beauty. Using the paintings of his famous uncle, Wassily Kandinsky, as a source of inspiration, Kojève suggests that in the creation (rather than reproduction) of beauty, the paintings are self-contained universes as concrete as the physical world. Kojève's text examines the usefulness and necessity of beauty in life and ultimately poses the multifaceted question: What is beauty? It includes personal letters between Kandinsky and his nephew that delve into the unique relationship between artist and philosopher. An introduction by Boris Groys provides context to Kojève's life and writings.

• Pages: 80
• Year of Publication: 0113
• Dimensions: 10.8x10.8cm