It is named Revolutionary design due to it being the most changing type of design.
RUSSIAN MODERNISM
The October Revolution
- The Bolsheviks's - group of revolutionists/armed workers, they rose together to over throw the Zarish Regime (poverty vs sickening wealth)
- The movement occured when the worlds communists countesi was made the USSR - that everyone is equal and the wealth is collectively owned - "run by and for the people"
- Russian October Revolution 1917 was led by Lenin. October (10 days that shocked the world_ = 1927 - Director = Sergei Eisensten
- 1917-1921 was the Russian Civil War
WHAT SYMBOLISES THE NEW ERA? (shown in film)
- workers puts his fut on the crown
- starting to impose a social security, no more homelessness and everyone has to have own land
- smashing of the wine - to make everyone equal - represents getting rid of the luxeries of wine and lying around
- stealing cutlery - showed that everything is shared out
- kid on the throne - birth of a new era
- religious imagery, spitting on the floor 'the curch always worships the leaders' they were ruining the Dutchess' bedroom infront of the religious paintings
- Clocks - sybolising internationalism and that all over the world this revolustion is happening - the world is united.
- PROPEGANDA - in reality the revolution wasn't as smooth as the film showed. Alot of artists and designers got involved
- Deceptive/Manipulative portraying of things
- 80% of Russia was illiterate at the time - alot of visual material published to spread the Bulshavik view
IMAGE
- Figure is dressed as an everyday workman - symbolic of unity. The Bolshavic power towers over the rest of the town/country
- Red - Russian flag, it represent the blood of the martyres and colour of COMMUNISM and that this is the cause they strive for.
- White army - the anti communist movement
- social funcation
- Still relies of the language of oil painting - the art of the old regime
- Bolshevik - wanted to comunicate in their language (art)
- From then on - intense articstic experimentation to try and comunicat a language to the public (1917 to mid 1920's)
YCTACH OBKA
- Simple shapes and colours opposed to the old, compicatd and showing off pictures
- represented = machine/industrail asthetic - workers main experience is of factories which reflects their work and also faith in technology/future
- Workers are portrayed in the painting - ver unusual and new
- Artistic experiment prevails up until Stalin - he bans this new style as he thought it was too new and fightened him - he felt it was too similar to the CAPITALIST West
LATE 1920'S - SOCIALIST REALISM
- This painting = propegandad about the COMMUNIST culture - good wealth = blue sky and all wearing red shirts (the cult of a leader)
- When Lenin was in charge he encouridged people to look at modern (Matisse) western painting - they were quickly absorbed - abstract, geometrical, no link with the past, severs historical links.
EL LISSITZKY
- 'Beat the whites with the red wedge' - attempt to show the Revolutions, descrive visually the moment it happened through the juxtaposition of shapes.
- red invading the white - the winter palace gates.
- WEDGE - ensures that the doors will then stay open, it grows with power by starting small. It represents AVAND-GARD, the pinnacle - changing the cutting edge.
- PIONEERS - shattering and piercing the heart of the previous regime.
- art and design have a SOCIAL purpose in designing the future - totally different from western - they were just left to experiment at their will.
BOOKS - RODCHENKO
- Commissioned to be put outside reading rooms for them to come into rooms and self educate (as there was a low literacy %)
- peasant woman (not privileged) showing education is for all. Female - not just men who can be educated. They gain a higher status on Revolution, they have as much progressive role in Revolution - equal rolls in Revolution
- Wedge - opposite way round but the same motif - starting small and they spreads out
- Book - written in RED which shows the communist progress.
- Attempt to look at industry and technology
- she - ecstatic - modern means to present modern ways. Photography - never lies, to more truthful/realistic
- Designed to serve a social unity. Designed out of a language which is new
- Reflects modern, rev social aim, looks forward NOT back.
- The historical part is the enemy of this moment
- Lots of experiment with photography contact - 2 negatives sliced together creating a superimposed image.
LEMIN - building future he is helping and mucking in with the workers. very radical and new. there is a reference to the wedge.
PRINT MEDIA became very important to them - mass produced which result of revolution
COSTRUCTAUISTS - The idea of emphasising that they were vital/contributing to the future (designers)
- they are structural experiments wich could be applied to future building
- this is a laboratory of ideas, socially useful things.
TATLIN's model of the Monument to the Third International- commissioned to come up with somethign to represent/commemorate
- it looks similar to the Eiffel Tower (3 times bigger than it)
- unlike the E.Tower it is designed not only aesthetically - lecture theatres, offices of the state and then telecommunications
- It is on a giant axis showing the extension of the axis of the world through Russia
- The floors would revolve
- Atmosphere of experiment that would lead to believe that anything would be possible - utopia
- The AIM of the CONSTRUCTAVISTS - "achieving the communistic impression of material structures'
- leveling out the art and design fo the same level
- The efforts of the worker in factor are as important as the efforts of the art/designer
STEPANOVA & POPOVA
- wall paper and drapery - trying to use the new geometric language of modernity - equally gets the construcavists treatment
- fabric designers - the wedge motif is still presetn - the new colours, synthetic colours, new scientific modern colours
- "the prints have not just become artistically acceptable, but have reached the level of real art...rich colours & intense ornamentation . (decorative arts)
USSR pavilion - innovative which signaled Russia as the cultural leader
Radical architecture, not for the elite - for the working mens club
VKHUTEMAS - predates the BAUHAUS - experimental arts school/innovative
Architecture is 80% male dominated - breaking down of gender gap
CONSTRUCTAVISTS art fits for women
FORMS following functions
top - wouldn't think it is made for fit women. Fashion is WEST was opposite - figure hugging
