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Photography & Graphic Applications Mobilized by Constructivist

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Photography & Graphic Applications Mobilized by Constructivist UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL REVOLUTION BY DESIGN: PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHIC APPLICATIONS MOBILIZED BY CONSTRUCTIVIST ALEKSANDR RODCHENKO IN THE 1920S SOVIET JOURNAL "NOVY LEF" MÉMOIRE PRÉSENTÉ COMME EXIGENCE PARTIELLE DE LA MAÎTRISE EN ÉTUDE DES ARTS PAR RENÉE-CLAUDE LANDRY JUIN 2013 UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL Service des bibliothèques · Ayertfssement La diffusion de ce mémoire se fait dans le( respect des droits de son auteur, qui a signé le formulaire Autorisation de reproduire. at de diffuser un travail de recherche de cycles 5 up~rlaurs (SDU-522 - Rév.01-2006). Cette autorisation stipule que <<conformément à l'article 11 du Règlement no 8 des études da cycles supérieurs, [l'auteur] concède à l'Université du Québec à Montréal une llc~nce non exclusive d'utilisation et da . publication de la totalité ou d'une partie Importante da [son] travail de recherche pour dea fins pédagogiques et non commerciales. Plus précisément, [l'auteur) autorisa l'Université du Québec à Montréal à reproduire, diffuser, prêter, distribuer ou vendre dea copies de. [son] travail de recherche à dea fins non commerciales sur quelque support que ce soit, y comprtsl'lntemel Cette licence et cette autorisation n'entrainent pas une renonciation de [la] part [de l'auteur] à [ses] droits moraux ni à [ses] droits de propriété intellectuelle. Sauf entente contraire, [l'auteur) conserve la liberté de diffuser et de commercialiser ou non ce travail dont [il} possède un exemplaire.~ TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ii REMERCIEMENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES iv RESUME vi RÉSUMÉ vii NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION viii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTERI NEW LEP 13 1.1 The Launch of Lef 13 1.2 LEF Editorial Board and Activities 22 1.3 The Emergence of Novy Lef 27 1.4 The Visionary Art Direction as Applied by Aleksandr Rodchenko 30 CHAPTERII LEP AS COMMUNICATIVE INSTRUMENT 37 2.1 The Emergence ofNew Modes of Representation atlNKhUK 37 2.2 Rodchenko and the Mobilization of New Technologies 46 2.3 Novy Lef Dissemination of"modemism" in Design 57 CHAPTERIII LEP WORKING FOR ACCULTURATION 63 3.1 Mediating Messages: the Proliferation of Joumals in Soviet Rus si a 63 3.2 Encoded Communications: the Propagandizing of Ideas 75 3.3 "Electrification" NovyLefno. 5, 1927 (a case study) 83 CONCLUSION 95 FIGURES 101 BIBLIOGRAPHY 110 REMERCIEMENTS Je tiens ici à remercier tous ceux qui m'ont aidée et soutenue : l'Université du Québec à Montréal et la direction du département d'histoire de l'art d'abord pour leur comprehension et pour m'avoir laissé le temps nécessaire afin de mener à bien ce mémoire. Merci à ma directrice Annie Gérin, professeur au département d'histoire de l'art, pour avoir accepté de se joindre au projet, pour son appui et ses bons conseils. Enfin, un merci spécial à Annie sans qui ce mémoire n'aurrait sûrement pas été à la hauteur de ce qu'il est maintenant. Merci pour son enthousiasme et sa présence continue, pour ses suggestions et ses corrections toujours judicieuses. LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.1 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Cover for Lef, no. 1 (1923). 101 Reprinted from Aleksandr Rodchenko, p. xxx The Museum of Modem Art, New Y ork. 1.2 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Cover for Lef, no. 2 (1923). 101 Reprinted from Aleksandr Rodchenko, p. xxx The Museum ofModem Art, New York. 1.3 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Cover for Lef, no. 3 (1923). 102 Reprinted from Aleksandr Rodchenko, p. xxx The Museum of Modem Art, New York. 2.1 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Dobrolet (1923). 103 Offset lithograph, 35 x 45.4 cm. Reprinted from Aleksandr Rodchenko, p. xxx The Museum of Modem Art, New York. 2.2 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Mother (1924). 104 Gelatin silver print, 22.9 x 15.9 cm. Collection of Howard Schickler Fine Art, Sarasota, Florida. 2.3 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Portrait ofOsip Brik (1924). 105 Variant design for cover of Lef Gelatin-si1ver print 24.2 x 17.9. Reprinted from Aleksandr Rodchenko, p. xxx The Museum ofModem Art, New York. 2.4 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Photomontage maquette for 106 variant cover of Lef, nos. 1-2 (1923). Reprinted from Aleksandr Rodchenko, p. xxx The Museum of Modem Art, New York. v 3.1 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Box for "Our Industry" caramels, 107 (1923). Reprinted from Aleksandr Rodchenko, p. xxx The Museum of Modern Art, New Y ork. 3.2 Aleksandr Rodchenko. Caver of Novy Lef, no. 5, (1927). 108 Reprinted from personal collection. Concl. 1 Shepard Fairey. Spring "Want it!" campaign for Saks 109 Fifth Avenue (2009). Reprinted from AD WEEK magazine, Februrary 26, 2009. Concl. 2 Shepard Fairey. Spring "Want it!" campaign for Saks 109 Fifth Avenue (2009). Reprinted from ADWEEK magazine, Februrary 26, 2009. Concl. 3 Shepard Fairey. Spring "Want it!" campaign for Saks 109 Fifth Avenue (2009). Reprinted from ADWEEK magazine, Februrary 26, 2009. RESUME This Master's thesis investigates the mobilization of new technologies in print media during the 1920s Soviet Union. Specifically, it centers on the designs of Constructivist artist Aleksandr Rodchenko and his graphie contribution to the leftist art magazine Novy Le/(1927- 28). It aims to argue that Rodchenko relentlessly championed the Constructivist principles of Production Art and mobilized new technologies as visual instruments in his fight to be and remain over the years an active art producer and citizen of the newly established Communist State, especially in the 1920s. In the context of print media, these Productivist princip les had the objective of advancing the potential power of visual communication in the service of developing Communism. This initiative is testament to Rodchenko's commitment to the discipline of graphie design, as he became one of the first to react artistically to the impact of industrialization by introducing print media and technologies of mass reproduction into his work. Thus, he became arguably one of the most self-aware artist-propagandists of the Twentieth Century. The objectives of this investigation are twofold. First, it aims to analyze the evolution of Rodchneko's graphie design work during the 1920s, which led to his artistic contribution in the emerging field of Soviet print media. Second, it aspires to analyze Rodchenko 's use of new media technologies in concrete graphie works destined to persuade the audience (in this case Soviet proletarian masses) to adopt and integrate socialist ideals. Key words: Rodchenko- Constructivism- Graphie Design- Photography - USSR RÉSUMÉ Ce mémoire enquête sur la mobilisation des nouvelles technologies dans la presse écrite au cours des années 1920 en l'Union soviétique. Plus précisément, il se concentre sur les oeuvres de l'artiste constructiviste Aleksandr Rodchenko et sa contribution graphique au magazine d'art gauchiste Novy Lef (1927 -28). Il vise à soutenir que Rodchenko a défendu sans relâche les principes constructivistes de l'art de la production tout en mobilisant les nouvelles technologies comme instruments visuels dans sa lutte pour être et demeurer au fil des années un producteur artistique actif et citoyen de l'État communiste nouvellement créé, en particulier dans les années vingt. Dans le contexte de la presse écrite, ces principes productivistes avaient pour objectif de faire progresser la puissance potentielle de la communication visuelle au service du développement du communisme. Cette initiative témoigne de l'engagement de Rodchenko à la discipline du design graphique, étant l'un des premiers à réagir artistiquement à l'impact de l'industrialisation par l'introduction de la presse écrite et des technologies de la reproduction de masse dans son travail. Ainsi, il est devenu sans conteste l'un des grands artistes- propagandistes du XXe siècle, conscient de son propre apport à la discipline. Les objectifs de cette étude sont de deux ordres. Tout d'abord, elle vise à analyser l'évolution du travail de Rodchneko dans la conception graphique des années vingt, qui ont conduit à sa contribution artistique dans le domaine émergeant de la presse écrite soviétique. Deuxièmement, elle cherche à analyser l'utilisation par Rodchenko des nouvelles technologies des médias dans des oeuvres graphiques concrètes destinées à persuader le public (dans ce cas les masses soviétiques prolétariennes) à adopter et intégrer les idéaux socialistes. Descripteurs: Rodchenko- Constructivisme- Design Graphique- Photographie -l'URSS V Ill NOTE ON TRANSLITERA TION The system of transliteration used here is the Library of Congress system. However there are sorne exceptions. Well-known names and places are given in their more familiar English forms, for example, Lunacharskii as Lunacharsky. INTRODUCTION In the past three years .. [he] bas given graphie art a completely new orientation. 1 Vladimir Mayakovsky In September 1921 at the All-Russian Federation of Writers' Club on Tverskaya Street, Moscow, 25 paintings were hung in a small exhibition entitled 5 x 5 = 25. Pive avant-garde artists participated in this historie exhibition. They were listed alphabetically in the accompanying catalogue: Varvara Stepanova, Aleksandr Vesnin, Lyubov Popova, Aleksandr Rodchenko and Aleksandra Exter.2 Despite the fact that the exhibition was seen at the time as a fairly marginal venture, it became recognized for what it signified: a farewell to painting. 3 In his essay The Exhibition 5 x 5 = 25: Its Background and Significance, John Milner describes it as an "extraordinary event in extraordinary times."4 Taking place during the critical years following the Russian Revolution, the exhibition recognized that the role of art bad reached a turning point. The participating artists, who ali supported the new Communist regime, declared during the exhibition that they aspired not only to analyze the role of art and its processes, but more importantly, to adapt artistic practices to the existing socio-political context. In this sense, the exhibition demonstrated a "historical awareness and an ideological purpose. "5 One of the central figures of the exhibition was Rodchenko.
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