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Abstract

Most theories of signs agree on that a proper sign refers to something other than just itself. Signs being their own reference objects be thus a semiotic paradox. In aesthetics, however, became autoreference of the sign postulate. Since Charles Darwin 1872 one wondered now and then in psychology if The Expression of the Emotions not be emotion in itself. Centered on autoreference, the present contribution treats Kasimir Malewitsch’s (1913) BLACK SQUARE, Wassily Kandinsky’s (since 1911) COMPOSITIONS and his art theoretical writings, Eduard Hanslick’s (1854) theory of music, and Gustav Kafka’s (1938) ›Ausdruckstheorie‹. Conclusion: Autoreferential sensu stricto are at any rate signs as James R. Stroop’s (1935) Coloured Words.