Plastic Art and Pure Plastic Art

essay by Mondrian

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July 2, 2026

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Piet Mondrian's essay "Plastic Art and Pure Plastic Art" discusses his artistic philosophy, which evolved into Neoplasticism. This style, championed by Mondrian and the De Stijl movement, aimed to express a "pure" reality by moving away from visually perceived subjects. Mondrian restricted his visual language to fundamental elements: straight lines, right angles, and primary colors (red, yellow, blue) along with black, white, and gray.123

He believed these elements, when combined in a balanced composition, could embody "plastic expression" and convey a harmonious cosmos. This approach sought to liberate art from naturalistic representation, focusing instead on the inherent qualities of line, form, and color to create a new, abstract reality. The term "plastic art" generally refers to three-dimensional art like sculpture, or visual arts such as painting and film, distinct from written arts.124

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Piet Mondrian
Later years of Piet Mondrian
…to publish his essay “Plastic Art and Pure Plastic Art,” Mondrian’s first essay in English, in the international publication Circle, of which Nicholson was coeditor. In this way, Mondrian’s ideas continued to gain an even broader audience. When Mondrian decided to leave Paris in 1938, under the shadow of…
Read More
…to publish his essay “Plastic Art and Pure Plastic Art,” Mondrian’s first essay in English, in the international publication Circle, of which Nicholson was coeditor. In this way, Mondrian’s ideas continued to gain an even broader audience. When Mondrian decided to leave Paris in 1938, under the shadow of…
Read More