There is an unwritten mindset that “God is dead (in Modern Art)” because the Modern Art movement was grounded so heavily in psychology. Two Modern artists, Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) and Ana Mendieta (1948-1985) illustrate through their artworks and personal writings that God was not dead in the art that they created, and therefore, that God is not dead within the Modern Art movement. It is clear that prior to creating their bodies of work, these artist would have been exposed to the psychological theories written preceding and during their lives, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung, and Ann and Barry Ulanov. Despite these psychological influences, Kandinsky invented his own theories on the way in which artists and the specific colors and abstract forms they use in their work can awaken spirituality within their viewers. Mendieta practiced the Afro-Cuban religion Santeria, and believed that everything was connected through a universal life force, which she depicted through her artwork. I discuss the psychological theories circulating before and during the Modern Art movement, and the social location of each artist. I conclude by saying that spirituality linked to inward awareness is central to the work of these two artists, and still has much to teach viewers today.
