Focussing on specific examples, describe the way that Modernist art & Design was a response to the forces of modernity?
In response to this, I will mainly be highlighting the great aesthetic reconstruction that was produced by artists throughout Germany in painting and graphic art throughout the 1900s and the 20th century. I will be focusing on the nature of modernist movements in Constructivism Expressionism, Bauhaus and the forces of opinions amongst Germany.
In the 19th century, the german population considered Modernity as an artist’s response to the changing social, political and cultural activities in their lives. The increasing changes to society encouraged a new attitude towards current artists; the effects of urbanization and industrialization were expressed through a new striking style of painting.
The unbelievable growth of cities had a great effect on the population in the 19th century when technology was at its best, this created a large shift in society and opened up a new world to urban and eventually even suburban workers. Life became fragmented and society was now secularization, the ‘city’ had now become the personification of modernism.
Great social changes affected Russia at this period, it was the time of the ‘Russian Revolution, 1917' and this was a great opportunity for art to progress. This shift in society effected contempoary designers/artists, giving them new inventive ideas and encouraged constructivists desires to make art more useful. Art became the base for constructing new society.
The use of techniques and abstract aesthetics were shown throughout the architecture, objects and art. Replacing the old with the new was the way forward. This development of peoples aesthetic spoke out to the public about modernity, not just for the way they look, but also to make a statement.
This progress in advanced society had a big effect on the public; it created a new language for democratic and political subjects. Artists and designers used their work to express these views and to inform the public about the social changes in their lives in an abstracted and symbolic way.
One of El Lissitzy pieces of the 19th century, Beat The Whites With The Red Wedge is a very good example of this , It was seen as a symbol of power and significant status for anti capitalism. Lissitzy painted this during the civil war, which explains the symbolistic colours red and white. He used shapes and colours to portray the conflict between the Bolshevik army(red wedge) and the anti-revolutionary forces (white circle). Red was a typical colour of revolution and White was a typical color of the anti-revolutionary forces. The russian text is specifically placed and colored on opposing sides representing the publics strong opinions clashing during the civil war , on the right side it says Bey Belch Meaning "Beat Whites" and on the left Kaneohe kpachnim ''White is right''.
The propaganda poster had a great effect on the public and still does to this day,it shows the persuasion of positive and negative towards its targeted audience. Portraying such a powerful message through visuals, the viewers were drawn into the political debate through a new method which became more popular in artists throughout the 19th century, known as 'Graphic Design'. It was at this time when El Lissitzy fell into this way of working up until the 30's. He became an innovator of graphic art, modern typography and photomontage.
'The artist constructs a new symbol with his brush. This symbol is not a recognizable form of anything that is already finished, already made, or already existent in the world — it is a symbol of a new world, which is being built upon and which exists by the way of the people'
But where did El Lissitzkys influences for supremalist art come from? It was the Bauhaus that caught his attention at this particular period, the factory for modern design. The school influenced allot of graphic designers in the 19th century and also allot of the 20th century modern art. Along with other assets, the school taught typography and this was where sans-serif typography was created which was an alternative to the heavy German standard of black-letter typography shown in some of Lissitzkys work from the 19th century. It was also the constructivism art movements at the time that had a great influence on lissitzy modernist designs The movements with origins in Russia at the time were increasing and this was a great opportunity for new art inspiration and communication in Lissitzky's designs.
'Constructivism is a Russian version of Modernism. It was a revolutionary movement in art, caused by the social and industrial revolutions of the 19th 20th centuries'
El Lissitzy continued to create more designs that had a great effect on Germanys population and their views towards the changing political and democratic events in the 20th century. People were influenced by constructivism. Modernist art was meant to serve the social purpose , it was created to serve all people and be practical in its nature.
'Russia became a breeding ground for the revolution and at itself'
At a similar period during the russian revolution , a riot broke out involving the government , the public. Political view's clashed and all hell broke loose, this was referred to as the February Revolution. What was interesting about this event is that the protest got out of hand and troops had to be called in, but instead of shooting at the rioters, the troops joined in to their protests and with no army to protect him, Tsar Nicholas 'emperor and autocrat of the russians' abandon his throne and his advisors resigned.
Looking at a contrast in art and design during the 19-20th century, Boris Kustodiev, a local russian painter responded to the democratic and political views using art in a more traditional way.
The Russian Revolution shook the foundations of society, which encouraged a vivid response in the artist's soul. He produced his own interpretation of the riot using oil based paints on canvas, 'the bolshevik'. Kustodiev wanted to communicate the statuses of power and democracy using colour and image. The painting is very symbolic to the revolution as there is an obvious use of red 'in the large flag that the giant is carrying' the colour red was chosen by the bolsheviks as their symbolistic colour representing 'blood' this marked workers and peasants 'anything red is a part of us', Higher classed citizens were usually painters and soldiers. 60% of Russia population were illiterate , Kustodiev wanted to convey the visual methods of their power using symbolic colours and unreal imagery in his painting.
The giant man in the middle of the protest is dressed like an average man, this could be a metaphor showing the collective strength of men creates power 'the riot,' this makes the audience rely on the visual propaganda at the time as it does not have the same connotation as it does nowadays.
These works reveal the captivating and complex ways in which artists responded to the forces of modernity and their personal relationships in contemporary society, culture and politics. The work that was produced by both artists gave the constructivists optimism about the future. Lissitsky and Kustodiev created new visual style's that was a revolution and linked to the political movement. This created a whole new style In typography, painting and colour which they then used in their works in an abstracted and symbolic way.
'Today we call the revolution 'Modernism' , Constructivism was Russia's version for that.'
REFERENCING
QUOTES
(1)book- Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum and El Lissitzy. El Lissitzy, 1890–1941: Architect Painter Photographer Typographer. Municipal Van Abbemuseum, 1990.
(2) Constructivism is a Russian version of Modernism. It was a revolutionary movement in art, caused by the social and industrial revolutions of the 19th 20th centuries.'Mikhail' — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQURCU6jN58&feature=related
(3) Russia became a breeding ground for the revolution and at itself 'Milkhail'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQURCU6jN58&feature=related
web- http://www.abcgallery.com/K/kustodiyev/kustodiyevbio.html
(4) Today we call the revolution 'Modernism' , Constructivism was Russia's version for that ' Milkhail' 2004
web- http://books.google.com/books?id=LiIMkx5yAFQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=explanation+of+boris+kustodiev+the+bolshevik&source=Bel&ots=OD_H4ygjGQ&sig=toZWt9ikovK6IUICnwwHS-XJVk0&hl=en&Eli=oyVATZXsKo-ahQe9t6GoCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
web- http://shkrobius.livejournal.com/2005/08/26/
book- Anti-Bolshevik Communism by Paul mattick jR.
book- The Russian Revolution and Bolshevik Victory: Visions and Revisions by Ronald Grigor Suny
book- Modernism: Designing a New World : 1914-1939 'christopher wilk'
