"As far as the subject is concerned, the aspiration of De Stijl artists is based on what they call the universal or cosmic, as opposed to individualistic artists.. ..even in the expression of the subject, De Stijl artist subjects himself to the same strict means and his individuality will only be apparent in the way he uses these means. This can be seen in the proportions of the composition, the rhythm, the way he applies the paint and, as far as is possible, the colors."
De Stijl was a Dutch art movement founded in 1917 by a group of artists and architects based in Leiden, Voorburg and Laren.
"Until now, man has let himself be lulled to sleep by pathetic lyric. That is why it is so fatal for the evolution of man, for all his activities, his necessary fight for equilibrium. On the other hand it has overfilled man with tragedy: tragedy has been so overrated that people have had enough. And already this is visible, man tries to ban it from all forms of art. Thus art achieves its goal at last; it takes evolution to balance.."
De Stijl"The ultimate consequences of its universal ambitions were formulated by De Stijl in its programme of utopian desiderata. A new life, a new reality was to arise, according to the universal principles which the painters of ‘De Stijl’ had rendered completely visible for the first time in history. But not all of De Stijls efforts were concentrated on a utopian, remote future. The purification of the plastic means of expression, should also serve to solve various actual problems of our present time. The pure means of expression could, in the first place, create a clear and universally current plastic language. This means that they were able to launch a style into present-day life.."
De Stijl"The problem which Piet Mondrian undertook to solve in nr. 116 [a new painting of Mondrian, exhibited then in the Stedelijk Museum in 1915, Amsterdam] was handled very successfully. This work spiritually dominates all others. It gives the impression of Repose; the repose of the soul. Its pre-determined structure embodies becoming rather than being. This represents a true element in art, for art is not being, but becoming. The idea of becoming has been expressed in black and white.. .Through years of hard work my own experiences have led me, before I came to know the theories of Uexkuell or Picasso, to prefer the use of the white-black-grey palette in works of a purely spiritual content.."
De Stijl"The new plastic idea [= De Stijl / Neo-Plasticism] cannot, therefore, take the form of concrete representation, although the latter does always indicate the universal to a degree, or at least conceal it within. This new plastic idea will ignore the particulars of appearance, that is to say, natural form and colour. On the contrary it should find its expression in the abstraction of form and colour, that is to say, in the straight line and the clearly defined primary colour."
De Stijl"Not only in the manner of presentation, but also in the subject, De Stijl / The Style artists [a. o. Mondrian, Theo van Doesburg and the Belgian artist Vantongerloo imposed limits upon themselves. They exclude all individual life – in general each special instance – and attempt to dissolve themselves to a more abstract and universal form of life, where there is no place for coincidental extras."
De Stijl"And then about whether or not to work from a given in nature. In my view, you [[w:Theo van Doesburg|Theo van Doesburg] define this in a rather narrow sense. In the main, I do agree with you that the destruction of the natural, and it reconstruction, must be accomplished according to a spiritual image, but I believe that we should take a broad view here. What is natural does not have to be a representation of something. Im now working on a thing that is a reconstruction of a starry sky [in the painting: Composition, Checkerboard Dark Colours, 1919] and yet Im making it without a given from nature. Someone who says he uses a theme from nature can be right, but also someone who says he uses nothing at all."
De Stijl