'Artists-industrialists' (long post!)
Mike Minovski
in
>> Leninist Russia, there was a nationwide movement incited by the
>> communist party for 'aestheticizing the living environment of the
>> working class'. Tens of thousands of artists were commanded to go
to
>> the factories, public buildings etc. and practice their art there.
It
>> was a huge experiment that lasted for years. Those artists were
called
>> 'artists-industrialists' (vague translation from Russian). Aside
from
>> the importance of this episode as an enormous laboratory for
Russian
>> constructivism, it was (as can be expected) an absolute failure in
its
>> primary purpose.
>>
>
>That whole story is fascinating. Where can I find out more about
this?
>
I managed to dig out some info in English. However, the sources I
found concentrate mainly on the art/style side. One of the reasons
probably is that I started the search from some emblematic names
closely related with the style and theory in environmental, industrial
and graphic design of that time (Tatlin, Rodchenko, Mayakovski, the
Stenberg brothers, Lissitzky etc.); another reason may be that the
relationship between art and state in that period still isn't analyzed
widely enough from today's post-communist viewpoint... or maybe such
analyses have been produced mainly for domestic use, i.e. in Russian
(didn't have much time to browse through Russian-language web
resources).
Before you go through the links, here's some more (necessary, I think)
detail on the socio-political background of the story:
Russian avantgarde art was very active since the turn of the century,
seeking to break the heavy conservatism typical of Russian art space.
In fact, at that time Russian avantgarde was one of the most advanced
in Europe, featuring constructivism, suprematism (Malevich),
cubo-futurism, rayonism etc. This apparent discrepancy was due to the
fact that conceptually the art's front cohort was so far ahead of
social realities, it was actually left on its own and used this
seeming freedom to explore without restraint. After the socialist
revolution in 1917, Russia - which in economic terms was still
basically a semi-feudal society - all of a sudden found itself on the
way towards a proclaimed equal-rights social structure with guaranteed
well-being (the ideal state), trying to bypass capitalism. This
fundamental change, combined with the initial nationwide enthusiasm,
was a tremendously exciting environment for artists; still more,
combined with the 'new millenium' awareness... Many immigrant artists
returned to Russia from Western Europe, just for the sake of being
able to take part in the dramatic events. Some Western artists also
joined; painter Marc Chagall even took an important administrative
position.
Here are some quotes that depict quite precisely the ideas of the art
community at the time:
"A revolution strengthens the impulse of invention. That is why there
is a flourishing of art following a revolution. ... Invention is
always the working out of impulses and desires of the collective and
not of the individual." (Vladimir Tatlin, considered to be the founder
of constructivism, 1919)
"The artist-proletarian's obligation is not only to create works that
answer the demands of today, but also to open the way to intellect
into the distant future."
"The artist-proletarian must act on the intellect of his comrade
proletarians not only through what they can understand at their
present stage of development."
"The more forcefully the form is expressed, the more forcefully the
content is expressed."
(...... Filonov, author of the Ideology of Analytical Art and the
Principle of Madeness) (not madness, but made-ness - a newly coined
term by Filonov)
Initially the Leninist regime did not restrics artists - it had much
more important problems to cope with. However, it needed their ardour
and devotion for its propaganda, that's why it tempted them by
offering a huge 'real-life laboratory' - Russia. Of course, control
was not abandoned: there was something like a Ministry of Art/Culture
(forgot the exact name) headed by one of Lenin's closest
collaborators, plus some institutes, commissions, that sort of things,
founded to handle the administrative tasks of control and 'keep an
eye' on the art circles.
When I said a multitude of artists were commanded to go and practice
their art 'among the masses', I meant not only direct orders (although
this has been the case for those unwilling to join) but also the
intentionally stimulated and skillfully steered 'high mood' which made
it possible to mask commands as 'initiatives' and obeyance - as
'choosing to serve the Revolution'. The climate was such that artists
who chose to stick to their pre-1917 style and ideas were despised by
their euphoric peers. Spooky, indeed... but that's what we're thinking
now, then it was the enchanting feeling of the absolute freedom to
destroy the old, no limits to build the new... 'turning the wheel of
history' with your own hands... One of the greatest mass delusions
ever.
BTW, I noted a curious (though not surprising) fact: many of those who
were the motor of the 'artists-industrialists' (saw it translated as
'artists-engineers' or 'artists-proletarians') movement, were
previously expelled from Russian art academies for revolting agaist
the existing education system and art standards :) Obviously there was
a lot of tension piled up...
During the 20s, constructivism, which was the prevailing (and the most
applicable in practice) style in avantgarde art, became the norm,
especially in visual art. (BTW it was very well in line with the
appeal for mass industrialization which was one of the main focus
points for the regime.) Having in mind that virtually all visual art
production contained (at least an element of) propaganda, you can
imagine all this as centralized, government-sponsored, mass PR
campaigns over a vast territory. No wonder within a decade
constructivism was established as the common style in visual arts, and
remained so for over half a century; it is still habitual for
Russians, even though it was strongly negated in the 80s (perestroika
time) exactly because of its relation to brain-smashing Bolshevik
(later - communist) propaganda.
The style influence of constructivism was so immense, it (or at least
its visual elements) affected almost everything: from architecture
through working/living environment, furniture, industrial design,
packaging, periodicals, book covers to theatre, cinema, photography,
written word, fashion and textile (this might not be the full list).
Such an abrupt, wide-scale style transition would normally suggest the
blossoming of kitsch; this was not the case, mainly because the
transition was carried out by qualified artists.
In the late 20s Lenin was succeeded by Stalin who brought in the
'steel hand' policy. Everything that could be questioned in terms of
compliance to the party line was bluntly destroyed (ideas, objects and
people). The initial enthusiasm of the art community had already been
replaced by disbelief and resignation. Then the regime introduced the
term 'socialist realism' (mid-30s) as the official art doctrine, which
was in fact a heavy limitation on content, plus implied limitations on
expression means - referring to all arts. Constructivism remained only
as a graphic style, mainly because of its (already) commonness. There
came the end of that seemingly golden - and undoubtedly exciting - era
for Russian art, and many of the artists whose names we read in the
encyclopaedias died in neglect.
Links:
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/8182/sjen.htm#slap
Mayakovsky - Slap on the Face of Public Taste Manifesto (scroll down
to see)
Mayakovski was 'the poet of the revolution' but also an ideologist of
cnstructivism in general, as well as author of interesting concepts
for symbiosis between visual art and written word.
http://www.mkg-hamburg.de/english/ausstell/01_russen/abt3.htm
a brief, yet relatively full description of the period and the
processes in Russian art...
http://www.mkg-hamburg.de/english/ausstell/01_russen/abt5.htm
... and the continuation towards 'socialist realism'
http://www.xrefer.com/entry/145527
best definition of 'socialist realism' among those I found, plus
cross-references
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/9009/stengal.html
gallery - the Stenberg brothers - stylewise the constructivistic
expression that remained as the basis of subsequently imposed
socialist realism...
http://www.funet.fi/pub/culture/russian/html_pages/posters1.html
... and later production (socialist realism)
http://members.surfeu.at/horvath/realism.htm
one of the most famous examples of socialist realism ("Children
presenting flowers to Comrade Stalin")
http://www.britannica.com/magazine/article?content_id=327096&query=el%20lissitzky
http://www.britannica.com/magazine/article?content_id=219138&query=el%20lissitzky
some good (IMO) analytical articles on the period
A pretty sad story, indeed. Good stuff to draw conclusions from,
though...
Sorry for the length... I know all this sounds pretty weird to Western
listeners so I wanted to make sure you get the whole picture.
I neither pretend to have exhausted the topic, nor to have an
'academically correct' approach to it. This is only basing on what
I've read, seen, heard and concluded on my own, including past
interaction with Russian colleagues (mostly industrial designers)...
plus today's web-based factual refreshment.
Hm... I wonder if our times would seem so 'loaded with action' a
century from now? and would they be viewed with respect or with
regret? or with a mixture of both?
mike m.
--- Observing equilibrium. ---