Black square became a symbol of “modern stupid art”. It actually doesn’t give the people what they really want to get – particular, obvious, clear meaning and beautiful form. Instead, it’s just…a black square! Someone poured paint on paper – I can do the same!

Well, people who say that they can actually can’t. Because the art cannot be separated from the context, where it was made. For example, the satirical poems or caricatures? Will they have any meaning if we erase the government (against which they were made) from the history? Just every evidence, every sign – everything will be erased – so next generations will not know about it – but will see the satirics. Well, they will lose their meaning – no one will understand them.
What about anti-utopias? Will they have meaning if the world will become ideal – and won’t have totalitarian regimes?
The same goes to Black square. You cannot separate art and the situation when it was made. And the situation was pretty interesting – there was a riot between the people who supported “classical art”, and all its rules and regulations – and people who thought that there can be no rules in art.
Malevich was an avant-garde artist – and his previous paintings already had pretty interesting and unusual forms – not realistic, like “classic art” must have.
But the black square was an apogee. Malevich called this “absolute absence of object”. He painted the most simple form – like a trolling to classical artists.
And it was a rebellion. Rebellion against the rules and regulations. You want me to draw identical Mona Lisas? Huh, get this square!
Of course, so many argues around this painting also increase its cost as an art. Because this is the main aim of any art – it shouldn’t leave you indifferent. It should provoke you, pull some strings – but never leave you without a reaction.

So, isn’t it a success? Some people rage on this painting – they are not indifferent. Some people try to find deep meaning in it (while there is no meaning at all) – they are not indifferent. Some people laugh at those who try to find a deep meaning – they are not indifferent. This painting creating a reaction – so it’s definitely successful.