Survey 8: The “Truth to Materials”

Charlestons and Communists (1915-1925)

Summary:

In this week’s lecture, we learned about the first World War, Dadaism, and the Russian Revolutions and constructivism. World War 1 was the main subject in advertising and poster design. Much propaganda focussed on recruiting able-bodied men to the war, women to join the workforce and factories to make supplies for war, and people to invest their money in war bonds so that governments could fund for the war. In the US and UK, their poster designs were mostly the traditional pictorial approach while in other areas, such as Germany, their posters were still following neo-classical designs with heavy gothic type.

Art movements were also prominent at this time. Dadaism artists mocked a society that had gone insane and their art was a reaction to the senseless suffering and loss of life they saw during the war. Surrealism emerged from Paris and its artists searched for the “more real than real-world beyond the real”. The Dutch De Stijl movement was a complete opposition to Dadaism and was an abstract geometric style seeking balance and harmony during the war. In Russia, the Suprematist movement focussed on the idea that geometry was the highest form of beauty. Constructivism derived from the Suprematist movement and featured basic, abstract geometric forms and the use of red, black, and white.

Life in the 1920’s was a difficult time. Many families were hurt by the emotional and physical trauma soldiers suffered when they came home. From 1920-1933, Canada and the US’ alcohol Prohibition was in effect. In 1920, Canada began forcing indigenous children to attend residential schools. However, not all was negative. This was also the time of the “Golden Age of Radio”, the age of jazz, and many famous figures such as Coco Chanel and Josephine Baker.

This time period was certainly interesting. Due to the World War, everything changed very fast and many design and art movements were notable. I enjoyed learning about the changes that took place and the impact the war made on various subjects.

Research:

For this time period, I was assigned to the subject of “design/type” and have decided to research Russian Constructivism.

Constructivism was a strict branch of abstract art first influenced by El Lissitzky. In 1915, it flourished and was founded by Vladimir Tatlin and Alexander Rodchenko. Inspired by Pablo Picasso’s cubist constructions, Tatlin started making his own, but they were completely abstract and made of industrial materials.

El Lissitzky
http://prophotos.ru/data/articles/0000/5943/23058/original.jpg
Vladimir Tatlin
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD.jpg/200px-%D0%A2%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD.jpg
Alexander Rodchenko
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/1935-alexander_rodschenko.jpg

Constructivism then evolved in the Russian art society until it became an art form that would be the desire to express the experience of modern life. As well as the desire to develop a new art form more appropriate for the democratic and modernizing goals of the Russian Revolution.

Constructivists proposed to replace art’s traditional concern with composition and a focus on construction. This meant that objects usually created to express beauty or an artist’s outlook or to represent the world were not being produced. Instead, objects were used to carry out fundamental analyses of materials and forms of art. The Constructivists believed in “truth to materials”- the belief that materials should be employed only in accordance with their capacities and should show the uses they could be put. Essentially, artworks of Constructivism were dictated by their material.

However, the aim to demonstrate how materials behaved was not all there was to Constructivism. This movement called for a careful technical analysis of modern materials in hopes that it would produce ideas that could be used in mass production. If this goal was achieved, it would serve the ends of the modern Communist society that Russia faced at the time; it would be art that served the people.

In terms of visual imagery, Constructivism features basic abstract geometric forms and the predominant use of red, black, and white. These three colours were specifically used as they were the colours representing the government party running for the revolution.

Poster by Alexander Rodchenko
https://www.lagrandeguerrapiu100.it/sites/default/files/uploads/testimony/covers/3oct13rodchenkostepanovabooks.jpg

Constructivism was a purely technical mastery and organizations of materials. It used bold striking colours and geometric shapes that would engage the audience. It didn’t believe in “art for art’s sake” and instead, sought to give art meaning. Russian Constructivism would be the last and most influential modern art movement to flourish in Russia in the twentieth century.

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References:

  • Judy’s Lecture Notes
  • “Constructivism Movement, Artists and Major Works.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement-constructivism.htm.
  • “Constructivism Movement, Artists and Major Works.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement-constructivism.htm.
  • troydownes, Posted by. “Russian Constructivism.” Troycjdownes, 13 June 2013, troycjdownes.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/russian-constructivism/.

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