Popova & Rodchenko

Here is an exerpt from my journal last year about the rodchenko/popova exhibition at the tate...which you can read if you want...

Thought the work look very relevant to our work.

Popova/Rodchenko

Defining Constructivism

Made up of twelve rooms celebrating the remarkable period of artistic experimentation known as Constructivism, obviously a huge influence on Artists and Designers today, constructivists explored how art could contribute to everyday life through Design. Architecture, industrial production, theatre and film.

The exhibition centres on Luibov Popova (1889-1924) and Aleksandr Rodchenko (1891-1956), pivotal figures in defining Constructivism. Considering Popova was female and Rodchenko male, this perfectly represents the ideas that constructivists believed about how art should transcend gender differences, therefore this was one of the first periods of history when female artists were valued as highly as male counterparts.

Each room develops chronologically beginning with paintings from 1917-18, moving on to graphic works, as well as other influences within constructivism, namely Wassily Kandinsky. Then the exhibition moves onto architecture, sculpture, advertising, film and finally textiles and theatre.

I found the paintings surprisingly contemporary, especially considering the time, often paintings become overlooked within galleries for the more contemporary work, but in this case, it was the paintings, which were contemporary regardless of how old they were. Timeless. This made me realise some of the huge impact, which constructivism had on graphic design today. The attention to the choice of colours, materials and surfaces to create a specific aesthetic is something all graphic designers need to be aware of today.

The next few rooms contain paintings and graphic works. "In a series of debates, they rejected ideas of 'composition' — a subjective approach to art that expressed the personality of the artist, guided by ideas of taste and emotions — in favour of 'constructivism', a more impersonal method dictated by the materials at hand and stripped of anything decorative or unnecessary." Even colour, tone, texture and surface could be eliminated as decoration making the line the sole essential element in a work of art.

The role of the 'art-constructer' lies in determining how elements can be arranged on a page, which is somewhat the role of a graphic designer today; therefore, free hand drawing was discarded, seen as unnecessary and replaced by the ruler and compass. "The brush became an insufficient and imprecise instrument in the new, non-objective painting and it was crowded out by the press, the roller, the ruling pen, the compass."

Architecture was said to be regarded as an intermediary between aesthetic and everyday life, Rodchenko and Popova's architecture and sculpture signified the abandonment of painting and the move towards real space, becoming one step closer to fulfilling the constructivist aims to make art of use in the world.

The next room contains 5x5=25 paintings from a two-part exhibition (Moscow 1921); this was known as a farewell to painting. Twenty-five handmade catalogues were made, five from Rodchenko, Popova and their fellow artists Varvara Stepanov, Aleksandr Vesnin and Aleksandra Exter. The most recognised aspect of this exhibition being Rodchenko's triptych; Pure Red Colour, Pure Yellow Colour and Pure Blue Colour. 'I reduced painting to its logical conclusion and exhibited three canvases: red, blue and yellow. I affirmed: it's over.'

From room eight onwards after the farewell to painting, the work of constructivists proved how art could play a role in the real world, adopting the slogan 'art to life.' The advertising work in this part of the exhibition shows a level of expertise and shows how rapid the constructivism movement developed. From painting and laying down fundamental rules, to creating work, which was witty persuasive and useful in the real world.

Towards the end of the exhibition, Popova and Rodchenko's propaganda and educational posters are displayed as well as textile design and costume, which inevitably filtered into theatre and set design. Popova is quoted saying-'No single artistic success gave me such profound satisfaction as the sight of a peasant woman buying a piece of my fabric for a dress,' showing that constructivism had reached beyond the art world and had started to change and impact upon the everyday lives of the masses.