Do you know that one of the most influential movements of the 20th century also made an ‘attack on art.’ The Russian Revolution introduced Constructivism to the world of art and even sought to influence design, architecture, fashion, and all mass-produced commodities.
Origins
Constructivism is a 20th-century art movement developed by Russian artists Vladimir Tatlin and Alexander Rodchenko focussing on abstract and austere modern art to design for industrial society and urban space.
Constructivists tried to break and analyze art into its most fundamental parts. They challenged the legitimacy of conventional styles and sought to create designs fit for the rapidly changing modern world.
Alexander Rodchenko's Hanging Spatial Construction
Russian Revolution
The first signs of Constructivism showed in the abstract art of Picasso. In 1913, Tatlin, a Russian artist, visited Picasso’s studio and was profoundly impacted by Picasso’s use of collaged objects. He was also influenced by Spanish arts on metal and wood. By 1917, when Revolution came to Russia, Tatlin had begun to grasp the seismic social changes going to happen in Russian society. In 1919, he began developing a design for the Monument to the Third International (shaped like a wooden curvilinear model spiraling upwards), also known as “Tatlin’s Tower.” This design became an icon of Constructivism even in its own time. Though the tower was never actually built, it gave significant ideas to sculpture, design, and architecture communities.
The rising waves of Socialism fuelled the movement which rejected decorative styles and beautification.
Vladimir Tatlin, Tatlin’s Tower
Motives
The movement gave emphasis to science and construction. It iterated that art was supposed to be built. Thus the focus was shifted from artistic expressions and composition to the utility of the art. It would look towards industrial production and the artist was designated as an engineer. Constructivists used geometric shapes, compasses, and rulers, instead of the traditional tools of artists. All materials of art like wood, glass, and metal were examined to know their suitability for specific types of constructions.
Famous artists and artworks
Kasimir Malevich’s iconic work Black Square (1915) is considered a milestone in Constructivism. Three ground-breaking artists of the movement were Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, and Tatlin. Some other famous artists closely associated with this movement were Alexander Rodchenko, Varvara Stepanova, Gustav Klutsis, El Lissitzky, and Liubov Popova.
El Lissitzky’s Proun Room (1923) and Abstract Cabinet (1927–28) gave ideas of modular space.