Constructivism and Alexander Rodchenko

Mossel' prom (Moscow Agricultural Industry) cafeteria
1923




The Battleship Potemkin
1926




Poster for the publishing house Gosizdat
(portrait of Lilya Brik shouting out the word "books")
1924

Constructivism was an artistic and architectural movement that originated in Russia from 1919 onward which rejected the idea of "art for art's sake" in favour of art as a practice directed towards social purposes. Constructivism as an active force lasted until around 1934, having a great deal of effect on developments in the art of the Weimar Republic and elsewhere, before being replaced by Socialist Realism. Its motifs have sporadically recurred in other art movements since. Constructivism was a post-World War I outgrowth of Russian Futurism.

Constructivist art is committed to complete abstraction with a devotion to modernity, where themes are often geometric, experimental and rarely emotional. Objective forms carrying universal meaning were far more suitable to the movement than subjective or individualistic forms. Constructivist themes are also quite minimal, where the artwork is broken down to its most basic elements. New media was often used in the creation of works, which helped to create a style of art that was orderly. An art of order was desirable at the time because it was just after WWI that the movement arose, which suggested a need for understanding, unity and peace.

Alexander Rodchenko, along with many other Contructivists, designed pieces that demanded attention by featuring bright colors, bold lettering, and geometric shapes. His pieces clean and simplistic, featuring basic geometric shapes. Yet at the same time his pieces shout, which is characteristic of the constructivism movement.

Rodchenko often takes his own pictures that he then uses in his posters. Rodchenko utilizes bright colors, illustrations, and a blocky font in most of his pieces. He always incorporates shapes into his designs. The colors he uses insure that the main focus of the poster stands out. The composition of his works is very clean, you know exactly where to look so there is no confusion in the composition.

Jugend

Jugend, 1896
Art Nouveau

Alphonse Mucha

Alphonse Mucha
Job, 1896
Art Nouveau

Gilbert Shelton

Indian And The Phonograph (VG-8) Vulcan Gas Company poster
1967

Wes Wilson

Man with Sword

Rick Griffin

9th Wave Exhibition, 1986

Alton Kelley

Alton Kelley
Fungo Mungo, 1996


Alton Kelley
'Joint Show' 1967


Alton Kelley
Grateful Dead poster, 1966

Art Nouveau

Jules Cheret
'Student Gala Evening', at the Bullier Room, Closerie des Lilas, 1894
Art Nouveau

Aubrey Beardsley
The Peacock Skirt, 1894
Art Nouveau



Leonetto Cappiello
"Parapluie-Revel 1922"
Art Nouveau

The Fantastic Partners

The Fantastic Partners
Early 1970s-Present
NYC Graffiti


"The Fantastic Partners is a Bronx based crew formed during the early 1970s and exists to this day. TFP is possibly the oldest crew that is still active, much credit is due to CASE 2 "King of Style". CASE embodies everything young writers idolize . A fierce respect commanding physical presence, go for broke attitude, legendary status and endless lettering ability. Through out the years CASE has quit and comeback many times. During these periods CASE always mentored new talent, ensuring the CASE 2 and TFP style remained active."

I had a hard time just choosing one piece from The Fantastic Partners, so I choose four of their graffiti pieces. I really like the bright and bold colors they use. I also really like how they make some of the words look like they are coming off the wall or sparkling. Their pieces are fun and pleasing to look at.

Jean Carlu

Jean Carlu
America's Answer! Production
1942
Art Deco

Jean Carlu was a French graphic designer, specialised in posters. He made posters during World War II to promote an increase in American production. I find this piece compelling because of the composition. The way each object is placed on the page allows your eyes to go all over the page. It is also very provocative. This poster was made while World War II was happening. A time when America needed production and Jean Carlu designed many posters for this effort. I really like how the 'O' in 'Production' is made to look like a bolt and the huge hand on the poster is tightening it.

Michael C. Place

Title: Poetry Club for JWT
Date: November 2006
Artist: Michael C. Place
Design Movement: unknown

Build was established in 2001 by Michael C. Place and "has since forge an international reputation as a forward-thinking Graphic Design studio with an exceptional eye for detail and a unique sense of style."

He designed this poster for a poetry club in Holland after he established Build. His graphic design studio is known around the world and produces many great pieces.

Michael said this in an interview: "I love the whole process of design and don’t want to get bogged down in the whole technical side of things. Print is great because it requires real discipline to do well, and I love the print process. I wouldn’t like to be seen as a ‘Jack of all trades’.

My relationship with my computer is simply this, I switch computer on, it works, the end. I was fortunate enough to be one of the last generation of designers that learned to do artwork by hand, using overlays, PMT cameras, making up type/colour etc.. This has helped me to have a really good knowledge of how the print process works. It’s invaluable to me."

I was immediately drawn to this piece mainly because of the composition of it. There is this huge minimalistic creature taking up most of the poster and a weird swirly figure on the creature sleeping. I really enjoy black and white pieces with a single pop of red color. The enormity of the creature pieced with the dreamy figure demands to be noticed. It would be very hard to just simply walk by this poster without stopping.

//extra//

A1 screen-printed poster design for the Poetry Club of The Netherlands. Commissioned by JWT [Amsterdam]. After a poem [translated into English below] by Daniël Dee.

Last night i slept
With the monster under my bed

Scratching myself against his rough fur
That was unexpectedly soft

He bit what was a painful pleasure
And we snore the bed in two

Now when i´m awake i feel nothing
Than my hair growing

Paul Rand

Title: Eye-Bee-M (IBM) Golden Circle Award Announcement
Date: 1981
Artist: Paul Rand
Design Movement: International Style

"Rand's most widely known contributions to design are his corporate indentities, many of which are still in use. IBM owes Rand their graphical heritage. Rand's defining corporate identity was his IBM logo in 1956, which as Mark Favermann notes 'was not just an identity but a basic design philosophy that permeated coporate consciousness and public awareness.'"

Rand was influenced by modernist philosophy. He enjoyed the works of Paul Cezanne, Jan Tschichold as well as many other artists. He "constantly attempted to draw the connections between their creative output and significant applications in graphic design."

Paul Rand was quoted saying "From Impressionism to Pop Art, the commonplace and even the comic strip have become ingredients for the artist's caldron. What Cezanne did with apples, Picasso with guitars, Leger with machines, Shwitters with rubbish, and Duchamp with urinals makes it clear that revelation does not depend upon grandiose concepts. The problem of the artist is to defamiliarize the ordinary."

I find this particular piece of Rand's extensive work compelling because it is simple and to the point. He has taken a widely known brand, IBM, and made something beautiful out of their logo. The simplicity is what makes it so extraordinary.