Эль Лиси цкий El Lissitzky Hamish Bullough - Devries
WHO- Eleazar Lissitsky was born in Pochinok, Russia in 1890, Intelligent and ambitious, his thirst for travel developed after the authorities begun persecuting the Jews, and decided to study engineering in Germany. Little did he know, engineering would be only one facet of his vast array of natural abilities and a mere stepping-stone for this innovative and revolutionary figure. In the mid 1920 s he met his wife Sophie Küppers, and in 1941, tuberculosis overcame causing his death. WHAT- In his early years Lissitzky found himself in Italy, studying the buildings. As the urge to develop his skills started to consume him, he experimented combining drawing with painting, using an analytical eye for architecture and engineering. His gifted nature across so many disciplines made him enormously influential: - as a painter, graphic designer, teacher, propagandist, exhibition designer as well as an architectural theorist, becoming an international social activist promoting political messages such as; - The sun of old world energy is torn down from the heavens by modern man, who by virtue of his technological superiority creates his own energy source. (Milner 2009, P.13).
WHY- Lissitzky was a vital force during the revolutionary period in Russia. His compulsion to become a critical link between Soviet culture, and western Europe arose as he noticed that the West lacked the vision and means - both of which he could provide. Lissitzky made crucial contacts with many of the prominent figures in the Western art circles including; the De Stilij, Dadaists and the Bauhaus, drawn to those with international ambitions. Lissitzky often used contradictory perspectives and soon abandoned the singular viewpoint of conventional art, resulting in his experimenting with geometric shapes, "Prouns" as he called them. Geometry is anonymous, its forms have no style and can not be bought. It belongs to everyone and no one. (Milner 2009, P.26). His combination of painting with his skill for engineering produced many innovative designs, few of which by either discipline could have envisioned. WHEN & WHERE- At the beginning of the twentieth century, the world was rife with war, making it difficult for artists to pursue the expressive freedom they required. Despite the many hardships affecting the Soviet Union; - persecution, degrees of famine as well as the consequences of communism, Lissitzky spawned the Unovis group. This contributed heavily towards Russian futurism, and was an integral part of his thinking and inspiration for design. Lissitzky s incorporation of lettering into Supermartism, was a simple but extremely effective means of conveying political slogans, a style of graphic design that he developed with great precision and perfect for the propaganda-rich nature of design during the early 20 th century. The potent form of art Lissitzky took west once diplomatic relations had been established, turned out to be readily embraced outside the confines of the communist dictatorship.
HOW- His development of the Supremartist art movement fused together the engineer and painter within Lissitzky, which was instrumental in the augmentation of the Bauhaus as well as the Constructivist movements. The 20 th century industry of graphic design was dominated by his contemporary style and experimentation with production techniques developed throughout the 1920 s and 30 s. In the early 1920 s, Lissitzsky along with others, including Kazimir Malevich, formed the Unovis group, meaning Assert the new - where Lissitzky begun his work with print and lithography, as well as publications, teaching and street decorations. Design for Lissitzky had to be revolutionary, collective, public and ideological - story of two squares is an example of this. In front of you is a segment of work, originated in Moscow. Here is all my works, my aim is not to reform something that exists, but to bring something new into existence, (Milner 2009, P.31).
BIBLIOGRAPHY- Artcyclopedia 2010, Specifica Inc. [WWW] www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/lissitzky-el [Accessed 25 March 2011]. Artprofessor 2004, The Professor Network. [WWW] www.artprofessor.com/artist/el-lissitzky [Accessed 22 March 2011]. Britannica online encyclopedia 1994, Britannica Inc. [WWW] www.britannica.com/ebchecked/topic /343316/El-Lissitzky [Accessed 23 March 2011] Milner, John 2009, Design: El Lissitzky, Antique Collectors' Club Ltd. Tupitsyn, Margarita 1999, El Lissitzky: Beyond the Abstract Cabinet. Hanover: Yale University Press. 1/El Lissitzky, 1928, Soviet Union Pressa catalog. [Print] Available at www.flicker.com/el_lissitzky [Accessed on 20 March 2011] 2/El Lissitzky, 1929. USSR exhibition poster. [Print] Available at www.flicker.com/el_lissitzky [Accessed on 19 March 2011] 3/El Lissitzky, 1919. Russian Constructivism poster. [Print] Available at www.visualspy.com [Accessed on 19 March 2011] 4/ El Lissitzky, 1922. Broom, Vol5, No4. [Print] Available at www.friendsofar.net [Accessed on 19 March 2011] 5/ El Lissitzky, 1923. Bauhaus Exhibition Poster. [Print] Available at www.quizlet.com [Accessed] 23 March 23 2011] 6/ El Lissitzky, 1923. Untitled from the Proun Room [Lithography] Available at adbrio.wordpress.com [Accessed on 16 March 2011] 7/ El Lissitzky, 1924. Mannequin. [Photogram] Available at www.antiquesandhearts.com [Accessed on 17 March 2011] 8/ El Lissitzky,, 2004. Prouns inspired, Frans Ferdinand Album cover [Digital Print] Available at www.smashingmagazine.com [Accessed on 25 March 2011] Word Count: - 599.
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