Kasimir Malevich (1879–1935) debuted his new creative theory of basic geometric shapes with the publication of his Suprematist manifesto in 1915. He later published a follow-up entitled The Non-Objective World in 1927, which further elucidated his vision of an art that emphasized the “primacy of pure feeling.” With Suprematism, Malevich strove to move his artistic focus away from representation, choosing instead to evoke emotion through a fundamental grammar system of squares, circles and other basic shapes. Though he was not an official member of the Bauhaus, Malevich’s emphasis on simplified forms provided an important link between the school of design and the Suprematist movement.

As part of the publisher’s ongoing Bauhausbücher series, Lars Müller’s facsimile edition of Malevich’s text is translated into English with the original design and typography.