Helen Mirren on Vasily Kandinsky

Subscribe for our latest videos: mo.ma/subscribe
Explore our collection online: mo.ma/art
Plan your visit in-person: mo.ma/visit
Filmed by Lost & Found Films. Produced by MoMA
Vasily Kandinsky. Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 1. 1914. Oil on canvas. Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund. Vasily Kandinsky. Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 2. 1914. Oil on canvas. Nelson A. Rockefeller Fund (by exchange). Vasily Kandinsky. Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 3. 1914. Oil on canvas. Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund. Vasily Kandinsky. Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 4. 1914. Oil on canvas. Nelson A. Rockefeller Fund (by exchange). All works in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art and © 2011 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

[@tgeo2880]

Helen Mirren is enchanting

[@JoyIsKey]

"A song can make you feel something. Likewise a painting can do the same thing." I appreciate these thoughts from an actress, when painting is so very often seen as an artform in decline compared to film these days. Speaking as a painter that is. ( : Wonderful to see this side of Helen Mirren.

[@donatellag.9332]

Fantastic artist she understands Kandisky better than lots of crap (so-/self-called) critics. Love Kandisky too. So grateful to his magic. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@archadeinteriors]

right on helen, that's bang on. .i knew Ms. Miren could do Kandinsky justice in 4 minutes or less, it's from one artist to another as you can see & she gets it, bang on : )

[@marynordseth2788]

"Art is the correspondence effected between inner necessity and outer color, movement and gesture." V. Kandinsky.

[@makkein]

Helen Mirren serve the justice of admiring Kadinsky, not to mention she's beautiful and knowledgeable as well.

[@thomasodonnell9221]

In the presence of a Kandinsky work, I feel as if I am falling into music.

[@aryehfinklestein9041]

Love the wonderful Helen Mirren, and Kandinsky a favorite artist of mine - so thankyou for this.

[@rtillman8352]

I love the randomness of the order in his paintings and that was a great quote to learn.

[@codymason1336]

cody) I love the way she explains that when your sitting there your in that artists space. you start seeing how kadinksy's layout isn't random at all its actually incredible how it has its own way of organization. if you just 5- 10 minutes of your own time and sit and gaze at a painting you get the feelings the painter had as when they were painting it.

[@kathysemrau2301]

Art is a love all of it's own. Thank you.

[@Doppe1ganger]

Very nice. Kandinsky one of my all-time favs too, it's just unendingly interesting to look at, never bores me

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

This is great. I like the intro, with her description of how she enjoys looking at paintings. Same way I do. And I'm a big fan of Kandinsky. Can't wait for the pandemic to end, so I can go to museum again. Thanks for posting this.

[@edwardharley9]

I feel exactly the same way. Guards stare as I approach closely, with my hands respectfully clasped tightly around my back. My most moving reaction was to Mark Rothko when I first saw a painting in the flesh....in Manhattan, think it was at MoMA, two red colour fields on red. Oh... just drowning in red, life turned inside out, excitement and organic process... what is it that red does to us.... wonderful wonderful experience...

[@laconja1]

I love hearing her talk about Art.

[@touchheartyoga]

Helen, you give expression with such emotional richness, so naturally. You are sunlight chasing shadows. Your gift seems to be expressing love, how elegant, how perfect.

[@2480hanna]

What a lovely, articulate and sincere lady.

[@robertafierro5592]

Anything Helen Mirren does is right on target! I had no idea how much she enjoys and studies paintings the way I do..Kandinsky..WOW!

[@meryemsalem9055]

I can listen to her talk all day...Indead Kandinsky is the example of the perfect combination between chaos and a well organized and calculated work

[@sheilagrayman7147]

Beautiful Helen in front of such Beautiful paintings.❤

[@MrInterestingthings]

I wonder what her collection must include. Nice to hear a serious actress speak about another artist !

[@ponderosa1850]

Wonderful. Always enjoy seeing Kandinsky at exhibits.

[@evalorentzen1851]

yes, I love Kandinsky's work, gorgeous balance and color with a crazy pattern of organized mess. :) Just love to look at it!!

[@kerryklaassen]

Helen is so insightful and speaks it like poetry.

[@AvsFan32]

Part of me thinks the elegant British doesn’t hurt

[@Joe-of1ob]

an artist/actress speaking on art like this is so much more informative and helpful than most other resources you can find. Thank you Helen. Time for me to watch some of your movies

[@ninamoler1880]

So happy to discover these videos!

[@leeha203]

Thank you for this!

[@rzrr41]

Thanks you ......what a magical thing to say about the space ..betwen the canvas and the observer...it so true...gracias...

[@grahamvirgil]

My favorite Museum! Nice narrative .......Thanks. Virgil Graham photography

[@robertafierro5592]

Now THIS is what Quality Content is!

[@valeriehitier9026]

Magnifique

[@lolosebastian]

Helen y Vasily una conbinación perfecta, adoré.

[@joevasquez3434]

Brilliantly: Miss Mirren's acting style resembles Kandinsky's style in brush. ..Amazing !

[@Helen3691]

I love Kandinsky so much I have a Kandinsky style tattoo. This video made me happy. Thank you for your perspective Ms. Mirren.

[@artpipe]

Beautiful.

[@killingthemood2000]

Kandinsky has to be my favorite (abstract)artist. He's underrated compared to everyone else! Kandinsky>Picasso

[@kevinbwillson4161]

We love you Helen

[@frankchineainguanzo2850]

Incredible artist,a total dance of his soul!

[@blanchettepierre]

Quelle beau témoignage sur la peinture, quelle belle sensibilité!

[@paxwallacejazz]

The great actress doesn't disappoint but the Bach(GB variations) in the background is not very analogous (structurally) to Kandinsky but Kandinsky's ol buddy Schoenberg or Berg is . The relationship between representationalism and tonality is the underlying string string here .

[@kelvynification]

Right on!

[@WorldPreSchool]

Concerning the spiritual in art . Kandinsky

[@awarenessvillage]

As a not good yet painter (acrylic and watercolor), I can relate to being close to the canvas, seeing what the artist sees. That's how I always wanted to look at paintings first, then back away, then back to close up. I look up close again to see what I saw far away. Hope that made sense. 😁☮

[@cohencohen54]

I happen to love Kandinsky’s early impressionist style which Ms. Mirren dismisses. But I love her approach to viewing a work of art. What a remarkable woman she is in par with Kandinsky (in her field of course).

[@zoecassidy3930]

this video is amazing

[@mrmonkeyman50]

A whole video on a visual artist... and mostly shots of Helen Mirren. I guess we know where the real beauty lies!

[@beaterossi2748]

...and I love also Gabriele Münter!!! She was very good in her art, she was unfortunately a woman at this time, but very very important for Kandinsky and his art, never forget...

[@donaldwhittaker7987]

Helen and kandinsy great

[@josecarlossousa8947]

Simply Kandinsky!

[@katrussell6819]

Still left struggling to understand Kandisky. I need more.

[@theressamurphy2996]

❤😊

[@johnhgmitchell]

why are these not actually on view at the moma?

[@ntfrmhr]

is it vasily or wassily?

[@howtubeable]

I was looking at a painting too closely, and a guard rushed into the room. She laughed and informed me that I had set off the alarm. She was really nice about it. The next time I visit an art museum, I'll have to bring a pair of binoculars.

[@EstebanSimich1]

Evolution of Art in Painting: From Vasily Kandinski Abstractionism - Kazimir Malevich Suprematism to Esteban Simich Projectionism in the 21st century.

[@bobbycombsartist]

Try Miro tomorrow

[@webberron]

Vasily Kandinsky reminds me of Russian artist Lyubov Popova (1889-1924)...

[@BomageMinimart]

This totally fucking rocks! I knew Helen Mirren was cool but ddamn! Right on, lady!

[@sharielsoriano8135]

Is Vasily and Wassily Kandinsky the same artist?

[@jamsters6430]

it is vasily Kandinsky or wasily Kandinsky?

[@ssddpost]

She is an Essex girl :) xxx

[@kamenpetrov6787]

U r smart woman.

[@Stashiky]

I just love the fact that she has a tiny, little tattoo on her left hand :)

[@experi-mentalproductions5358]

How does the Museum of Modern Art not know how to spell the man's name?

[@nalvarado65]

How about showing the artist's paintings while she pontificates.

[@glenncambray9783]

"Downtime"?

[@johncastle8254]

I love Hellen ,she's a beautiful work of art .kandinskys ok .

[@pierrechareau9466]

Learning the good accident Francis Bacon

[@jmontgomery1178]

New title: "Helen Mirren on herself, with a brief thought on Kandinsky"

[@jesuslozanofuentes5123]

Subtitulado muy mal, imposible de leer,

[@goutman]

fit

[@johnsharman7930]

Loved Helen Mirren explaining Kandinsky as akin to music and randomness. Kandinsky was a theosophist and I think that inspired his paintings: the beautiful, daring color palette. Unlike Helen Mirren whose legs have an enchanting form of their own as she delicately walks towards and backwards from the paintings. I like that Helen who's acting I worship has a lovely naturalness, a letting be, all her own. Like her he is Russian'. Kandinsky also inspired Pollock, another random splasher, who outlined stretches of his paintings in black. Helen is right. Late Kandinsky is rigid & set, wrong.

[@srv1959]

Kandinsky to me feels like he shattered something art deco

[@nelsonx5326]

I'd love to go on an art museum date with her. Ever go on a museum date with a chick? I recommend it. Then a walk through Central Park.

[@Hithere-ek4qt]

Kandinsky is Not my cup of tea, but still interesting.

[@michelemaliano7860]

Isn’t it Wassily? Russians pronounce their Ws as Vs.

[@franciscoamayanaranjo2213]

Helen is so beautiful, gorgeous, intelligent, talented, hot and sexy. I love her.😍😍😍❤❤❤💋💋💋

[@nehemiahpersoff9534]

Dear Helen Mirren, This is an odd way to communicate with you without knowing your address. My name is Nehemiah Persoff, you can get my email address by Googling Nehemiah Persoff Paintings. I've written a play which features a retired British Musical comedy star, now retired, and seriously practicing her hobby, Painting. I think you will enjoy the play. If you would like me to email the script to you. Please contact me and I'll be glad to mail it to you. No obligation at all on your part. Sincerely Nehemiah

[@graterdeddly9527]

While I don't share her appreciation of Kandinsky, I do appreciate her appreciation for it. Modern Art to me is taking an idea too far, too extreme, and thus distorting it -- like atonal music that simply doesn't sound very good. I like the heaviest metal there is, as long as one can clearly identify the distortion and the skill they bring to the expression. Using distortion to a purpose is one thing and can be creative avenue, and give a variation on artistic themes, but someone like Kandinsky seems opportunistic and lacking in talent. Abstract expressionism makes art accessible for those who don't care to do the hard work of developing the skill of a classical painter, or the eye of an impressionist -- who were quite skillful, but did not feel the necessity at a time of newly discovered photography, for precise imitation of real life. That accessibility, though, now renders the pieces lesser, simply splotches of paint, which can be nice to look at for a moment or two, much like an ugly tie or certain garish wallpaper, but not beyond that. Mirren, on the hand, sees something else, and I like that she feels it in a very genuine and sincere way. Appreciation for appreciation's sake, that's sounds okay to me.

[@apes4days254]

There's more to it than just random marks, alot of if is meaning and intention. Past simply appealing to the subjective "good". You have to view it differently than classical, like you have to view jazz differently than metal. One is mostly a show of talent and another is from a deeper place.

[@user-gh1fu6yc4f]

Kandinsky played the cello, which led to the playfulness of his work.

[@KpxUrz5745]

Well, boys and girls, many artists speak to me and make lasting impressions, but Kandinsky isn't one of them. I seem to recall suffering through an entire retrospective at the Guggenheim, and could not wait to get out of there. Furthermore, I gave up the Guggenheim decades ago anyway, because the selfish architecture is just insufferable and certainly not suited to display paintings on sloping walls over sloping floors. So not only do I dislike Kandinsky, but I REALLY dislike Frank Lloyd Wright!

[@jonporter1233]

Kandinsk me bro.

[@wendy-leemorrissirrom8636]

Of course Kandinsky was born Ukraine. Why do they say Russian on google. Love his art. Let’s c your work. 🇳🇿🙏💋❤️