Rodchenko and Popova and Architecture of the Constructivist Period Essay

Rodchenko and Popova and Architecture of the Constructivist Period - Essay Example Aleksander Michailovich Rodchenko was seen as originator whose work was mocked as construction art by another artist Kazimir Malevich in 1917. The word evolved to become an honourable term by 1920 in the Realistic Manifesto of Naum Gabo while Alexei Gan used it as title of his book Constructivism printed in 1922 (Cooke, 1995, 106). As an art, it combines the particular properties of an object as well as its spatial presence, thus, presentation in three-dimension although it would soon encompass two-dimensional works of books, posters, montage and factography (Cooke, 1995). In this essay, it will be demonstrated how the works of arts and expressions of Russian avant- garde artists Lyubov Popova and Aleksandr Rodchenko have significantly influenced constructivism and how their principles were applied in constructive architecture. Constructivism is described as the objective analysis of a systematic practice which consists of set of principles (scientific) to be applied in the productio n of useful goods (Fer, 1989, 16). In this context, the pioneer constructivist artists have incorporated and explored the different elements of arts i.e. line, color, plane, volume, space, material etc. beyond their traditional uses so that they (artists) could freely express their feelings and to produce utilitarian/practical works. Constructivism has opposed the traditional art which is figurative and decorative. The constructivists have exhibited a new territory of imagination to convey futuristic design (Brandy, 2009). In addition, constructivism also literally utilized industrial materials such as wood or marble dust [Figure 5] to exhibit artifice and illusion (Fer 1989, & Aspden, 2009). Discussion Constructivism was seen to be a reaction of Russian artists on the pomposity of the previous eras about high art. In addition, there was already an on-going Russian Futurism exexmplified by industrial, angular styles, soon, works of the likes of Malevich’s Suprematism showed g eometric abstraction (Cooke, 1995). It has not been easily accepted during the earlier period. In 1920 during the formative years of constructivism, Rodchenko was commissioned by the Bolshevik government as director of the Museum Bureau and Purchasing Fund. He was not only a teacher but responsible in the reorganisation of art schools as well as museums. Much propaganda at that time both governmental and otherwise used Rodchenko’s art, design and concepts that saw the debut of â€Å"the end of painting† (Akbar, 2009, P 1). Together with his comrade Liubov Popova, they bid their farewell to the bourgeois practice of painting which they described as frivolous and pretentious (Cooke, 1995). Aside from industry shaping the Russian Futurism, the constructivist also were engaged in festivals, street designs, and post-revolution of the Bolshevik government where the UNOVIS group of Malevich propaganda plaques and buildings such as the 1919 work of El Lissitzky’s Beat t he Whites with the Red Wedge. In their works as exemplified by Rodchenko, POpova and their fellow artists, a new explosion of creativity and innovative styles was integrated in the paintings which he both applied rushing diagonal lines and bold colours [Figure 1& 2]. Rodchenko