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C O N T E N T II
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Introduction
VI-VIX
Historical Context
X-XIII
Theoretcial context
XIV-XXXI
Experiments
XXXII-XLIX
Typeface
L-LI
Bibliography
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The end of an era brings about the new. Revolution is in the air and new ways of design are taking over, traditionalist methods of old are shunned and a new way of thinking is needed. Artists and designers are no long the elite of society. They are the
NTRODUCTION
engineer, the worker, the labourer and the constructor. Constructivism was an avant-garde art movement that originated in Russia shortly after the revolution in 1917, it was very strongly associated with communism. Although short lived its bold aesthetic quality meant it has influenced a variety of contemporary designers.
IV
Artists associated with constructivism Historical El Lissitzky Vladimir Tatlin Naum Gabo Alexander Rodchenko Vladimir Mayakovsky The Stenburg Brothers Aleksei Gan Lyubov Popova Kasimir Malevich Contemporary Neville Brody Jaime Gili Oscar Niemeyer Vaughan Oliver
V
ISTORICAL CONTEXT
1917 REVOLUTION
“Death to Art! It arose naturally Developed naturally And disappeared naturally.” VI
1917, Russia is in revolution. In these new terbulent times there is no place for the ways of old and the Artist elite is pushed to the side by the new avant garde designers. It is a time of industry, of new materials and of design created for the people.
VII
El Lissitzky’s ‘Beat the white with the red wedge’ is an iconic constructivist design and a good example of the simple geometric shapes and contrasting bold colours that are associated with constructivist design. The design is seemingly abstract but the message is clear and bold.
VIII
El Lissitzky, Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge, 1919 IX
heoretical context Constructivist thinking was heavily intertwined with communism and marx theory, it was a socialist design movement with goals aimed towards the benefit of greater society. Ideas of ‘non-objective art’ and art without subject matter were explored. Art that had an aspect personal to the individual became unfashionable and functional design for the masses was in.
X
“Let the picture imitate nothing” Albert Gleizes.
The Slogans of the Constructivists 1. Down with art. Long live technic. 2. Religion is a lie, Art is a lie. 3. Kill human thinking’s last remains tying it to art. 4. Down with guarding the traditions of art. Long live the Constructivist Technician. 5. Down with art. This only camouflages humanity’s impotence. 6. The collective art of the present is constructive life.
Stephen Bann ‘The tradition of constructivism’ pp-9 XI
The Constructivists seemed just as interested in the philosophy of their movement as much as their designs. There was a lot of emphasis on renouncing the old ways of art and looking at design from a more scientific or logical perspective with many artists likening themselves to engineers
Alexander Rodchenko .The Board for the Leningrad branch of the State publishing house . 1924
XII
The movement explored a number of different themes throughout design includingMathematics Chance or random design Optical phenomena (optical illusions) Movement Light Colour Space XIII
xperimental stages
Constructivist designers used alot of paper cut outs to create geometric shapes and compositions. so i began by making some simple designs out of coloured card.
XIV
“I sought refuge in the form of the square.� kasimir Malevich 1913
XV
Letterforms can be found in unlikely places. Here a well used cutting board was used to create abstarct letterforms made up from random straight lines and shapes
XVI
XVII
Taking the paper cut out techniqes further to create letters. A successful technique and a good basis for future development. The bold simple shapes and colours are similar with those associated with constructivist designs.
XVIII
Experiments using positive space to create shapes.
“Treat nature in terms of the cylinder, the sphere, and the cone,” Paul Cézanne. XIX
“we declare uncompromising war on art!� the 1st working group of constructivists 1921 moscow. XX
Initial pencil layouts explorng different shape combinations
XXI
“long live the communist expression of material construction!� the 1st working group of constructivists 1921 moscow.
XXII
The aim was to make letters that were basic, bold and yet sturdy as if products of industry. A lot of emphasis was placed on using triangles, columns and semi cicles with strong contrasting colours for maximum effect.
XXIII
Original sketches were taken further into digital format. Recreated using the pathfinder tool.
XXIV
A quick and effective method of working with shapes and using traditional Constructivist techniques in a modern way.
XXV
Here the technique of photomontage was explored.it was a teqchnique used widely by the constructivists. It is an interesting and unique way of constructing letterforms
XXVI
XXVII
Many of the original designs were slightly more complex than they needed to be. So in keeping with simple Constructivist thinking they were simplified down to more basic shapes, losing the coloured backround aswell.
XXVIII
“The collective art of the present is constructive life.�
XXIX
XXX
Through experimenting i’ve found that limiting the colours i use creates the best results, black and red work well together and ive stopped including grey and a coloured backround. it’s become apparent that the letters need to be simple and bold in order to be legible and satisfy the contructivist element of the typeface.
XXXI
ypeface
h e
L E T T E R S
XXXII
N U M B E R S
P U N C T U A T I O N
XXXIII
XXXIV
L e t t e r s
XXXV
XXXVI
L e t t e r s
XXXVII
s r e t t e L XXXVIII
XXXIX
XL
L e t t e r s
XLI
XLII
L e t t e r s
XLIII
N
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S XLIV
XLV
XLVI
XLVII
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XLIX
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B I B L I O G R A P H LIV
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Website articles <http://simonthebold.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/constructivists/> (2009) <http://www.lilithgallery.com/arthistory/constructivism/> (unknown date) <http://jesseturri.com/wordpress/?p=210> (2009) <http://artpulsemagazine.com/constructivist-jungle-interview-with-jaime-gili/> (2010) <http://artandthis.typepad.com/art_and_this/2009/06/mark-danceys-graphics-and-russian-constructivism-.html> (2009) Videos <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PduzgLz9bQY> Rodchenko and Povova. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC6fgr5ggHQ> Alexander Rodchenko smashing the mould bbc 4 ‘the art of Russia’ series. <http://channel.tate.org.uk/media/35371670001/24280276001> ‘Constructivism and the art of everyday life’ series of lectures on constructivism - from the tate channel. Books Ricky, G,1968.Constructivism - origins and evolution. George Braziller Inc. Bann, S 1974 The Tradition of Constructivism. Viking press.
LV
“Down with art. Long live technic.”
LVI