On the influence of musical terminology on the theory and practice of the Russian avant-garde

The paper explores the origin and history of the term faktura and analyses its use and its narratives in David Burliuk, Wassily Kandinsky, Nikolai Punin and Vladimir Markov’s writings. In the early 1910s, a new perspective on the nature and essence of visual arts emerged, which subsequently led to the development of a new terminology in the avant-garde art theory and practice. This paper argues that the term faktura, along with terms such as counterpoint, tuning fork, as well as consonance and dissonance, originated in the field of music. It later was incorporated into the avant-garde artists’ vocabulary, developed, and further adopted to the needs and context of the new art as a unique tool of expression. As a result, the abstract character of music served as a source of inspiration for the avant-garde artists, thus creating linkages and interconnections between art fields.