RAG Magazine Issue 1

THE FIRST ISSUE

01

1

NEW

MPROVED

CHEAPER

CLOSER

BETTER

2

NOTHING

THERE IS

STOPPING YOU FROM

G

U M

3

THE RE-OPENING OF

GUM:THE DEPARTMENT STORE

THE NEW AND IMPROVED

4

THE HISTORY OF THE

UPPER TRADING ROWS/ GUM

OPENING

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8

9

3

The Upper Trading Rows

opened on December 2nd,

1893 after a competition

was held in 1889 granting

the design to Alexander

Pomerantsev. The original

design of the Upper Trading

Rows featured 16 large

individual buildings with

glazed streets between

them. It was designed

as a city of Russian

capitalism, which were

carried out by Alexander

II, to help the influx of

proud Russian merchants

entering Moscow. The new

Rows were designed as a

technologically advanced

yet the most fashionable

European department

store. The ground levels

had high end stores

showing expensive silk

and brocade fabrics from

the Sapozhnikov brothers,

watches, pastries and

perfumes. The upper levels

are used for cheaper

products and the two-story

basement was used for

wholesale trade.

CLOSE

In 1917, the shopping center

was terminated, and all the

goods were confiscated. Food

Commissariat of Alexander

Tsiuriupa, which carried out the

policy of "food dictatorship”,

was located here. The Upper

Trading Rows was also home to

the warehouse of requisitioned

items and Soviet workers’

dining-room.

re-OPEN

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9

1

7

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9

2

2

In 1922, Lenin proposed

the idea of the coexistence

between capitalism and

communism and through

the restoration between the

relation between the Western

society and the Upper Trading

Rows were reopened under

the State Department Store

(GUM). GUM was highly

advertised with the use of many

posters designed by Vladimir

Mayakovsky and Alexander

Rodchenko. GUM was a symbol

towards a new economy based

upon the New Economic Policy

stated by Lenin in 1921.

5

Cigarette advertisement for Sappho cigarettes.

Aleksandr Zelenskii (1924)

6

KPACHAR MOCKBA

TeZhe

“TeZhe on your eyes,

TeZhe on your lips,

TeZhe on your cheeks,

where am I supposed to kiss?”

FRAGRANCE

The Red Moscow perfume, presented in a bottle

resembling the Kremlin’s towers.

Produced by TeZhe, established in 1921, the first mass beauty brand in

the Soviet Union with shops everywhere selling everything from creams

to colognes. This company promotes good hygiene amongst all class

levels, adding vitamins to cosmetics for added health benefits!

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8

VARVARA STEPANOVA

Textile Pattern

RAG

РАГ

Aelita: Queen of Mars

Cinema and Imagination Headpiece

Martian Costume Design

The Ballets Russes

Workwear

An Interview with Rodchenko

Why We Paint Ourselves

The Nude Figure

Varvara Stepanova

K. Tsiolkovsky Space Elevator City

Prounametric

Moscow Printing Plants

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34

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70

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94

102

110

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RAG

ISSUE 01

RAG Magazine is a student run

publication platform for media

and art inspired by the

movements from the Russian

Avant Garde.

Publishing

An ARCH 540 course production under the direction of

Dr. Elizabeth C English in Russian Avant-Garde Architectural

Theory.

Executive Editors

Hannah Connolly

htconnolly@uwaterloo.ca

Kathryn Cybulski

ka2cybulski@uwaterloo.ca

Isabel Kim

isabel.kim@uwaterloo.ca

Jieyu Wang

jieyu.wang@uwaterloo.ca

Subscribe

Get RAG Magazine delivered to your door every month.

Subscription for 1 year / 12 issues.

РАГ

Creative

Words

Hannah Connolly

Kathryn Cybulski

Isabel Kim

Jieyu Wang

Fashion

Hannah Connolly

Jieyu Wang

Photography

Kathryn Cybulski

Isabel Kim

Illustration

RAG Team

Contributors

Featured Columnists

Yannik Sigouin and Callum Nolan

Caroline Brodeur and Anastasia Jaffray

Philip Carr-Harris

Creative Models

Simone Delaney

Nini Chen

Nicholas Lupescu

Isabella Suppa

Alifa Frebrian

Camryn Anderson

Callum Nolan

Magdalena Kaczmarczyk

Please be an environmentally

conscious citizen - recycle this

magazine responsibly

CREDITS

11

Painter famous by his works in vanguardism, impressionism, futurism and cubism styles.

Kazimir Malevich (1878 - 1935)

12

Editor’s Letter

This body of work serves as an exploration and

reinterpretation of the clothing and costume designs

of the Russian Avant Garde movement. This collection

includes looks inspired by Alexandra Exeter’s costume

designs for Aelita: Queen of Mars, Leon Bakst’s costume

designs for the Ballet Russes, Rodchecnko’s, Papova’s

and Stepanova’s workwear, sportswear, and specialwear

designs for the proletariat.

The Russian Avant-Garde movement has had a large

influence on contemporary culture, art, and fashion,

and continues to inspire the work of many designers

and artists today. Following an analysis of the materials,

geometries and silhouettes used by Russian designers

in the early 20th century, a collection of garments have

been created and photographed. This project seeks to

understand the overall ideas and driving forces of the

Russian Avant Garde movement within the context of

garment and textile design, specifically in the clothing

of the everyday, the workday, and the cinema/theatre.

ARCH 540

Professor Elizabeth English

Russian Avant-Garde Architectural Theory

13

АЭЛИТА

Aelita: Queen of Mars

An exploration of Alexandra Exter’s costume and set

designs for a film that inspired generations of science

fiction cinema.

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15

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Aelita: Queen of Mars (1924)

Aelita: Queen of Mars is based

on a novel by Aleksey N. Tolstoy

and depicts the harsh conditions

of Soviet citizens during the Civil

War (1917 - 1923), which caused

famine and displacement in

Moscow. The film depicts the

building of a new nation through

engineering and machinery. The

economic downfall beginning

in 1914 lead Vladimir Lenin to

establish the New Economic Policy,

an economic system including a

free market and capitalism within

the communist state. Provided

with funding from a German

organization hoping to support

a global workers revolution

through cinema, Moscowbased

Mezhrabprom-Rus

Studio planned Aelita as a large

production rivalling German and

American epics and supporting

the goals of the Bolshevik

revolution. Known Cubo-futurist

painter Alexandra Exter was hired

to design the Martian costumes.

Exter was a leading figure in the

European avant-garde, creating

a unique cubist style notable

for its use of bright colour. She

designed costumes and sets for

Alexander Tairov’s Kamerny

theatre in Moscow, including a

1917 production of Oscar Wilde’s

Salome. Art historian Andrei

Nakov wrote that Exter’s designs

for Salome caused the birth of

a new pathos for the machine

age. Exter adapted her designs

for Aelita to the monochromatic

palette of black and white film

stock, using a variety of industrial

materials with distinct textures,

such as glass, aluminum and steel.

This allowed for high contrast

images. Exter insisted that her

costumes interact with the film

sets, resulting in a unified image.

The space-queen was conceived

as a Soviet Barbarella, clothed in

a swirling dress of orbiting loops,

topped with a many-pronged

head-dress that gives her the

look of a human TV aerial. It

exudes the excitement of what the

promised revolution would bring,

the humble engineer discovering

a brave new world through hard

work.

The artistic interests of Exter

herself lay in the field of

studying colour, in its rhythms

and influence. Her theatrical

costumes and paintings are rich

with colours. Costume design for

black and white cinema served as

a new form of creation that could

not be influenced by colour. In

Aelita: Queen of Mars, Martian

costumes embodied the aesthetics

of constructivism in its geometry.

These costumes were met by

Victor Simov’s set designs to

achieve a stylistic unity to Martian

scenes.

Both dresses worn by Aelita are

very narrow and paired with

sculptural headdresses. These

restrict certain movements,

requiring a steady, balanced

pace that aided in the regality

of the queen’s role. The disks on

the dress and headpiece evoke

associations with the planets and

the whirlpool. In the costumes

of the other Martian characters,

Exter actively uses rectangles,

circles, waves, broken lines, and

triangles. These allow for a sharp

contrast between non— standard

materials, such as plastic, metal,

and cardboard.

The rigidity of the costumes

reflect an established order.

Actors moved like robots. Aelita

and Ikhoshka wore crowns with

tubes and antannas, twisted into

rigid shapes and spirals. Soldiers

wore helmets constructed in metal

and plastic. Exter was known

for her contributions to theatre

set design. In her collaboration

with Alexander Tairov between

1916 - 1921, she rejected the

typical painted decorations and

backdrop curtains. She instead

focused on volumetric spaces

distinguished by economical form

and dynamism.

This design for a constructivist

stage set was designed by Exter

in 1924. Intended for Tairov’s

productions in Moscow, this design

inspired the set designs of Aelita,

in which Exter was responsible

for some of the set designs. The

rigid and austere quality of the

design was considered futuristic,

yet it highlights Exter’s core ideas

about the creation of theatrical

spaces. Exter’s knowledge of the

changing approach to set design

called for simplified structures

that corresponded with the actor’s

movement and strengthened the

relationship between actor and

audience.

17

18

19

In the film-stills, the constructivist

focus can be observed through

bare natural textures of structures.

Exter combines metallic

geometric constructions, such as

interlinked red stairs and elevated

walkways. These allow for new

types of cinematic/theatrical

circulation and allows for a degree

of improvisation. Exter believed

this architectonic set typology

would better relate to dramatic

movement and the internal

rhythm of performance. She

believed her role as set designer

was to improve performance

by providing the actor with

unobstructed space.

20

Alexandra Ekster’s costume

designs gave intriguing

glimpses into Russian society

and their mid-1920s idea of

a Martian civilization. The

aesthetics of Aelita are

heavily influenced by the

avant-garde “constructivist”

style and in turn, influenced

science fiction films in the

years to follow.

21

HEADPIECE FOR CINEMA AND

IMAGINATION

A re-interpretation of Exter’s headpiece

designs

RAG Original Design

Satin threading, metallic lace, pine needles

painted in glitter

.

Inspired by the powerful costume design for

black and white cinema, and in particular, the

head pieces as a staple component to “Martian”

futurist design, a contemporary headpiece was

created for the re-envisioned Aelita: Queen

of Mars photo series. Exter who had been

working in theatre, was forced to abolish the

barrier between spectator and actor, created

by the curtain. Her multidisciplinary work

aided her input in the dynamism of cinema.

She created the costumes to be the epitome

of the movement of the characters, as they are

impossible to represent in static.

The headpieces are integral to the costume

designs in the film, as their geometric shapes

make them eye-catching and memorable.

Playing with the compositional tools

Alexandra Ekster used to manipulate the

nature of black and white film, such as

looking at the shades and tones of patterns

and applying what would complement the

black and white, materials for the headpiece

were selected carefully as well. Playing with

textures and geometric shapes much like

Exter did, tassles and slender pointed feathers

were placed compositionally on the head. The

silver and metallic headpiece was paired in

contrast to the model’s dark, curly hair.

In attempts to achieve the notion of movement

in the costume much like Exter did, each

element of our headpiece points to the theme

Drawing

of Yakov Protazanov’s dreamlike style.

Photography: RAG

Styling: RAG

Model: Alifa Frebrian

22

AELITA: QUEEN OF MARS

Headpiece Costume Design

COSTUME DESIGN: FOR CINEMA AND THE IMAGINATION

fig 1 - fig 2: Alexander Exter, costume design: Aelita: Queen of Mars

fig 3: Alexander Exter, costume design sketch: Aelita: Queen of Mars inspired by Alexei Tolstoy’s novel

Russian director Yakov Protazanov and Aleksandra Ekster’s costume designs, both pioneers in their fields while creating

Aelita, gave intriguing glimpses into Russian society, and their mid-1920s idea of a Martian civilization. Aesthetics of Aelita are

heavily influenced by the avant-garde “constructivist” style and in turn influenced science fiction films in the years to follow.

Inspired by the powerful costume design for black and white cinema, and in particular, the head pieces as a staple component

to “Martian” futurist design, a contemporary headpiece was created for the re-envisioned Aelita: Queen of Mars photo series.

Exter who had been working in theatre, was forced to get rid of the barrier between spectator and actor, created by the

curtain. Her multidisciplinary work aided her input in the dynamism of cinema. She created the costumes to be the epitome of

the movement of the characters, as they are impossible to represent in static.

The headpieces are integral to the outfit designs in the film, as their geometric shapes make them eye-catching and

memorable. Playing with the compositional tools Aleksandra Ekster used to manipulate the nature of black and white film,

such as looking at the shades and tones of patterns and applying what would complement the black and white, materials for

the headpiece were selected carefully as well. Playing with textures and geometric shapes much like Exter did, tassles and

slender pointed feathers were placed compositionally on the head. The silver and metallic headpiece was paired in contrast

to the model’s dark and curly textured hair. In attempts to achieve the notion of movement in the costume much like Exter did,

each element of our headpiece points to the theme of Yakov Protazanov’s dreamlike style.

23

24

25

COSTUME DESIGN

Martian costume design

RAG Original Design

Black linen, perferated steel ribbon,

satin ribon, silver reflective spandex

The disks on the dress and headpiece,

inspired by headpieces worn in the film,

evoke associations with the planets.

Atypical garment materials, such as

metalic perferated sheets, plastics, and

fringe, are used in the way that Exter

used found materials in her costumes

to convey a sense of material depth and

sharp contrast.

Photography: RAG

Styling: RAG

Models: Callum Nolan,

Magdalena Kaczmarczyk

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27

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БАЛЕТЫ

THE BALLETS RUSSES

A study of Leon Bakst’s set and costume design for the

Ballets Russes.

Opposite: Costume design for Vaslav Nijinsky as the Faun

from The Afternoon of a Faun, 1912, graphite, tempera,

and gold paint on paper

34

35

Leon Bakst costume design

Narcisse - Nymph Echo, 1911

36

Leon Bakst costume design

Nijinsky as the Golden Slave in Schéhérazade

37

CLOTHING FOR BEAUTY AND

ESCAPISM

Performance Wear

RAG Original Design

Makeup, hair, costume by RAG

Leon Bakst and Serge Diaghilev

founded the Mir iskusstva (World

of Art), which promoted Russian art

through performances and exhibitions.

An ititiative of this movement was

the Ballets Russes, which offered an

international stage for young Russian

composers, dancers, choreographers

and designers. In the early 20th century

the Ballets Russes took Europe by storm

and was relocated to Paris. Bakst was

the company’s creative director, and he

designed many of the costumes and sets

used in the productions. These avante

garde, transportative performances

provided viewers with a sense of escape,

influenced by the Ancient East and

abstract, cubist, and surrealist art.

For this look, rich textured materials

such as sheer reflective satin and

metallic ornament were used. The

deep blue colour of fabric, the striped

velvet and satin skirt, and the hanging

silver, ornamental beads, were used to

recreate the oppulance of the Ballets

Russes’ costumes. Exposed midri and

bare leg used in the Ballets Russes were

a depature from the heavily corseted

bodices and long skirts that Parisian

audiences were previously accustomed

to.

Photography: RAG

Styling: RAG

Models: Camryn Anderson

38

39

40

41

42

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Leon Bakst Set Design

Schéhérazade, 1910

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45

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Advertisement Poster for the Ballets Russes 1924

Dancers in the Ballets Russes

47

СПЕЦОД

WORK

48

ЕЖДА

WEAR

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50

СПЕЦОДЕЖДA:

WORKWEAR

Words: RAG

Photography: RAG

Styling: RAG

Russian constructivists saw the

human body as a mobile vessel

which required simple and light

clothing to increase, rather than

obstruct, the efficiency of the

wearer at work and in daily life.

They favored geometric shapes

and complementing colours in

their avant-garde designs. During

this time they also used sparse,

geometric forms and modest

materials. From paintings to

posters to textiles, they created

a visual language out of forms

that can be drawn with utilitarian

instruments like compasses and

rulers. The female workwear

piece we designed was inspired

by the designs of Constructivist

artists Rodchenko and

Stepanova.

An important aspect of

Constructivist fashion design

was an emphasis on functionality

and comfort. Rodchenko and

Stepanova’s design of the work

outfit was practical for active

work and the harsh climate

of the Soviet Union. Featured

in our first designs are loose

coveralls, a utility belt to keep

them positioned correctly,

kneepads for kneeling, and

sturdy work boots, arranged

in a way that maintains these

elements in a rectangular and

geometric fashion similar to art

created during the Constructivist

movement. Inspiration was

pulled from Rodchenko’s art,

which featured stark, flat

geometry and compositions

akin to those of technical

drawings. The most important

feature of Rodchenko’s graphic

compositions were the extreme

precision of their lines and

contours, a quality we attempted

to convey in our design through

the contrast of colored lines on

our chosen fabrics.

51

DESIGNED FOR

UTILITY AND FUNCTION

Functional Workwear

RAG Original Design

Makeup, hair, costume by RAG

Photography: RAG

Styling: RAG

Models: (In order) Nini Chen,

Nick Lupescu, Simone

Delaney

52

Our factory

workwear

design is

made for a typical Russian

worker in the mid-1920s

focusing the on utility and

function of the garment. of

the Russian Constructivist

concept of “prozodezhda.”

Following the ideas of the

Russian Constructivist concept

of “prozodezhda” (production

clothing) and “specodezhda”

(specialized clothing), the

design was simple, efficient

and impersonal. Decorative

elements that were not

functional were abolished

in the design and the only

decorative elements in the

design are the pockets which

provide function for the busy

worker.

This design is intended for

factory workers and has

no regard to individual

aesthetic or social difference

but rather emphasizes the

practical role of the wearer in

the community. As a unisex

outfit, the idea of gender is

absent in the design. Utility

and neutrality becomes the

main driving factors in design.

Many Russian Constructivists

who designed in this fashion

includes Tatlin, Stepanova,

Rodchenko and Popova.

However, most of the clothing

designs of this 1920’s era were

not realized so we seek to turn

the experimental dreams of

the Russian Constructivists

into reality. Through the

ideologies of the Russian

Constructivists we were able

to create a purely utilitarian

fashion for the modern-day

factory worker.

As for the next sportwear

uniform on the following

pages, it is heavily inspired

by the designs by Lyubov

Popova’s and the idea of

functionality and performance

in design during the Russian

Constructivist Era. Using the

ideology of “production art”

(art with a social meaning and

practical purpose) the design

focuses on the body and how

the body functions while

doing physical activity. The

design proposed follows the

Constructivist views that the

body is a mobile vessel and the

requirements of this vessel are

heavily applied in the design.

The practical and simple design

seeks to increase performance

and provide efficiency when

performing activities rather

than to obstruct.

top underneath. The styling of

the outfit also consisted of arm

and leg cuffs which compress

the muscles of the user

which reduces muscle fatigue

and injury. We attempted

to work towards the idea of

using modern advances with

the ideology of the Russian

Avant Garde Constructivists

throughout all of our designs.

For this design we worked with

a striped material creating

different shapes using various

angles at the seams. The idea

of working with fabric in an

abstract form was inspiring

when creating the sportswear

design and we aimed to

create an outfit that has

equal importance in artistic

vision and practical aims of

sportswear. The design used

simple geometric stipes in the

fabric but the bright colours

contrasted the minimal design.

Taking the square necklines

which is prominent in much

of Popovas designs, we seek

to modernize the outfit by

replacing the heavily formal

uncomfortable belt with a tank

53

Workwear

Women’s factory outfit

54

55

Workwear

Men’s factory outfit

56

Workwear

Men’s factory outfit

57

58

Sportswear

Women’s active wear

59

60

by Katty Cybulski

Born in St. Petersburg on November 23, 1891

Alexander Rodchenko is one of the most versatile

Constructivist and Productivist photographer,

artist, sculptor, and graphic designer of the

Russian Avant Garde, to emerge after the Russian

Revolution. He worked as a painter and graphic

designer before turning to photomontage and

photography. His photography was socially

engaged, formally innovative, and his career is a

model of the clash between modern art and radical

politics. His life’s work explored a variety of media

from painting to sculpture to graphic design to

fashion design.

61

Katty: Hello Alexander. It is

such a pleasure to sit here and

talk with you today. How are

you?

Alexander: I am good, thank you for

having me.

K: Tell me, what was it like for

you growing up? Did you always

have a strong interest for art

and design?

A: Surprisingly no. I grew up in a fairly

poor household. I mean, we were a

working-class family but struggled to

make ends meet a lot of the time and

education was not really a priority. I

had very little exposure to the art world

growing up. I enjoyed flipping through

my mother’s fashion magazines though.

My dad passed when I was 18 which was

hard. We ended up moving to Kazan and

it kind of felt like a fresh start for all of us.

I began studying at the Kazan Art School

under some really talented artists… also

met my wife, Varvara [Stepanova], there.

K: Tell us a little bit about

Varvara. Has she influenced

your design work at all?

A: Absolutely, a very talented artist she

is – poetry, philosophy, painting, graphic

design, stage scenery construction,

clothing design – she’s done it all. We’ve

collaborated on many projects.

K: What’s one of your favourites?

A: In 1921 she was very passionate about

the realm of production and felt that

her designs could achieve their broadest

impact in aiding the development of the

Soviet society and I was right there with

her. We were looking at ways in which

we could free the body through design

and emphasize the clothing’s functional

use, rather than decorative qualities. We

looked at the clothes through the lens of

action and ending up producing a few

62

workwear pieces for the Soviet Union.

K: Ah yes, I’ve seen the

workwear, very nicely

designed. Have you been

able to produce any of your

designed pieces yet?

A: Not yet, that is most likely the next

step, to actually produce some of the

designs we’ve come up with together,

I think that would be fun. We would

probably keep the materials and

the colours very modest, and keep

the geometric forms that are pretty

prominent in our drawn designs.

K: Yea, absolutely. In your

career thus far is there anyone

else you draw inspiration

from?

A: I would say [Kazimir] Malevich’s

work has inspired me a ton. I looked

at his Suprematism work a lot during

my artistic training at the Stroganov

Institute in Moscow in 1914. I loved

the way Malevich used these stark

compositions and geometric forms

against white backgrounds so there’s

definitely an essence of his work in

mine for sure. I would also say Vladimir

Tatlin has been a large inspiration

for me. I worked as his assistant for

a bit and was able to learn so much

from him that way. But yea, generally

speaking, art from the Cubism and

Futurism periods were so intriguing

to me and definitely a huge inspiration

for my own work.

K: It looks as if though you’ve

learned a lot from the artists

around you throughout your

development as an artist.

Are there things you’ve

experimented with on your

own that have lead you to

create your own philosophy

on art and design?

“INSPIRATION

CAN ONLY

TAKE YOU SO

FAR, AT THE

END OF THE

DAY YOU HAVE

TO CREATE

ART THAT IS

FULFILLING TO

YOU.”

63

A: Absolutely, in fact I would say the

times when I’m experimenting by myself

is where I learn the most. Inspiration can

only take you so far, at the end of the day

you have to create art that is fulfilling

for you. I’ve been playing around with

photography for the past couple years

and there’s definitely aspects of that

medium that I am able to implement

into other mediums. I’ve slowly learned

that one has to take several different

shots of a subject, from different points

of view and in different situations, as if

one examined it in the round rather than

looked through the same key-hold again

and again. We must revolutionize our

optical perception. We must remove the

veil from our eyes. In order to educate

man to a new longing, everyday familiar

objects must be shown to him with

totally unexpected perspectives and

in unexpected situations. New objects

should be depicted from different sides in

order to provide a complete impression

of the object.

K: Interesting, I see. So what

kind of projects are you

currently working on? Anything

photography-related?

A: Yea I’m feeling heavily inspired by

photography currently so I’m exploring

my style in that. Only the camera seems

to be really capable of describing

modern life. I’ve been looking at a lot of

photomontages too, done by German

Dadaists, they’re pretty cool. My good

friend Lilya Brik has been helping me

with a photo series. We collaborated on

a poster together last year titled “Books”,

where she is featured with a cupped

hand shouting “книги по всем отраслям

знания.” People really loved that one.

I don’t know, I want to take some quite

incredible photographs that have never

been taken before… pictures which

are simple and complex at the same

time, which will amaze and overwhelm

people… I must achieve this so that

photography can begin to be considered

a form of art. Photography has all the

rights, and all the merits, necessary for us

to turn towards it as the art of our time.

“I WANT

TO TAKE

SOME QUITE

INCREDIBLE

PHOTOGRAPHS

THAT HAVE

NEVER BEEN

TAKEN BEFORE

[...] I MUST

ACHIEVE

THIS SO THAT

PHOTOGRAPHY

CAN BEGIN

TO BE

CONSIDERED A

FORM OF ART.”

64

Alexander Rodchenko, Photomontage for Majakovski’s “Pro Eto”, 1923 with Lilya 65Brik

WHY WE PAINT

OURSELVES

the beginning of an invasion

Beyond, Russia. “How Russian Avant-Garde Artists Created Urban and Street Art in the Country.” Russia Beyond, August 19, 2018. https://www.rbth.com/arts/328979-russian-avant-garde-street-art.

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In 1913, Ilya Zdanevich and

Mikhail Larionov produced a

manifesto entitled, Why We Paint

Ourselves, where they declared

“a beginning of an invasion”

with intentions to paint their

faces with bright colors. These

are futurists who create a path

from elitism to the people. Their

hopes are to break the established

rules of fine art and encourage

men and women, the everyday

people, to take to the streets

with paint on their faces. A new

revolution, it is an act of defiance.

The most important vision of

an art “invasion” in the decree

formulated in 1918 by a group

of Russian Futurists, including

Vladimir Mayakovsky, David

Burliuk and Vasily Kamensky.

They wrote a manifesto decree

and as No 1, they wrote ‘On the

democratization of art,’ the artists

stood up to “pick up paint pots,

and with the brushes of one’s

mastery illuminate, paint out all

sides, foreheads, and chests of

cities, train stations, and the everrunning

flocks of rail wagons.”

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THE SUBJECT OF PUBLIC

Natalia Goncharova, identified

as one of the most radical female

artists of the early 20th century,

depicts female nude subjects in

her paintings that are traditionally

considered a man’s domain. During

this time, nude artworks were

favored by many male vanguard

artists, yet Goncharova’s identity

as a woman artist, being the

producer of these female nudes

were seen as contradictory and her

behavior was criminally “sexed.”

This controversial and challenging

behavior led to her prosecution

SCRUTINY

and trials on a number of occasions

for blasphemy and pornography.

Her defiance with new female

perspectives through her art were

some of the earliest to ignite the

avant-garde in Russia. Although

painting the image of a nude is not

forbidden territory to the female

artist anymore, this photograph

shown above is created to recognize

Goncharova’s honest depictions

which were unique to her position as

a woman within the movement and

to show new influenced works that

remain untouched by the male gaze.

Costlow, Jane T., Stephanie Sandler, and Judith Vowles. Sexuality and the Body in Russian Culture. Stanford: Stanford Univ Press, 1998.

Goncharova painting the nude figure

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Photography: RAG

Model: Isabella Suppa

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RE - INVENTING THE ART

& THE ARTIST

Lavrentiev, Alexander, and John E Bowit. Varvara Stepanova: the Complete Work. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1988.

Stepanova’s multi-level vision

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RE - INVENTING THE ART & THE ARTIST

VARVARA STEPANOVA –

is a “Constructivist” and a prime

mover of the Russian Avant

Garde. She is one of the Avant-

Garde’s most dynamic artists

who is constantly questioning

new concepts of design, and

continues to express them in

paintings, drawings and designs.

With communication as the

real justification of her art, her

posters and book illustrations

convey the message loud and

clear; her rhythmical figures

invite us to dance. Stepanova

is recently tackling important

milestones as an influential

designer. Just within the last

year, she became a professor

of composition in Textile

Department of VKhUTEMAS.

Simultaneously, having worked

with artist Liubov Papova, the

two had involved themselves in

the creation of new fabrics for

the First State Textile Printing

Works in Moscow. Stepping

towards standardization

– a principle valued by

Constructivists – they hoped

to create the ideal clothes for

each trade. Regrettably, without

the partnership of Papova

now, Stepanova still continues

to create designs for the First

State Textile Printing Works.

As a professor of composition

in Textile Department of

VKhUTEMAS she encourages

students to go out, observe

the changes in fashion on the

streets so that the students

are able to formulate design

projects of their own. She also

hopes to show students that this

profession is not just confined

to the preparation of fabric

designs but also deals with the

design of the actual clothing,

full ensemble and headgear.

In mourning of Varvara

Pavova, Stepanova is currently

undergoing a transition in

her design gaze, from being

inspired by Parisian floral

and wildlife pattern books,

to shifting to a more complex

composition, attracted by

the potential for creating

illusions of movement, of forms

transmitting into one another.

Stepanova’s current fabric

designs consist of a multi-level

colour-field, so that when we

look at them we gradually

discern forms in the depth of the

pattern. Although the process is

just simply printing a pattern

onto monotone surface of fabric

with only one or two colours,

Stepanova is able to create

an illusion of several spatial

planes existing on the surface.

Many superimposed geometric

forms create a combination

of almost structure-like parts

to the fabric. When creating

superimpositions, as a rule, she

leaves points of intersections

either white or the leaves the

background colour to show

through, thus creating the

optical impression of a second

plane. This construction on the

surface of the fabric brings to

mind an urban architectural

complex which are also typical

elements of her and Papova’s

Constructivist paintings.

Stepanova felt the artist should

design the fabric “from within,”

starting with rules governing its

weaving so as to attain not just

Stepanova and Papova’s Textile Sketch

new decorative surfaces, but

also fabrics with new physical

properties. She starts with

these rules, design starting

from the textile, to the design of

the construction and then the

design of who wears it, when

they wear it and how they use

it. The close analysis of the

functional demands of clothing

enables her to identify 3 types:

sport wear, production wear,

and special wear .

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SPORT WEAR

Sportodezhda

The most dynamic example

of Stepanova’s experiments in

daily life wear are her projects

for sportodezhdas. They

are sports clothes that are

dependent on bright colours

for the clothing to be easily

recognizable and the lightness

of material for regulating

body temperature. The basic

principle was to apply sharply

differentiated, colour graphic

team emblems composed of

large forms and contrasting

colour combinations so it

could be seen from far away.

WORK WEAR

Prozodezhda

The goal in designing the

prozodeshda, is essentially to

elaborate on a set number of

basic models which could then

be modified to fit a particular

profession. The prozodezhda

thus eventually becoming the

product of mass production

instead of an individually

handcrafted object like many

of the professional workwear

of the past. Individual details

are being introduced through

the material and the detailing

of the cut. The custom

detailing will depend on

the profession of the model,

whether it is for an engineer

in a printing shop, someone

on a steamship or a worker

for a metallurgical factory.

Popova and Stepanova

maintained that every

profession (factory worker,

teacher, actor, sportsman,

doctor, etc.) needed its own

uniform or costume which

should be made in accordance

with the standards of that

profession. This is the start

of an establishment of

stereotypical or productional

clothing

becoming

standardized and rationalized.

SPECIAL WEAR

Spetzodezhda

Special clothing. In addition

to prozodezhda, Stepanova

felt another type of special

protective clothing was

necessary. These are for

surgeons, pilots, workers in acid

factories, firemen, members of

arctic expeditions… In other

words, these are clothes for

specific professional groups.

Stepanova took this as her

point of departure for the

wearer’s working conditions.

She considered the seams of

the pattern, the fastenings, the

pocket detailing, and more, all

to express the nature of each

profession’s clothing and what

the worker would need to

do. This wear should provide

sufficient opportunities for the

worker to do the task at hand in a

more efficient and easy manner.

VARVARA STEPANOVA

Textile Pattern

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VARVARA STEPANOVA

Textile Pattern

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85

VARVARA STEPANOVA

Textile Pattern

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VARVARA STEPANOVA

Textile Pattern

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VARVARA STEPANOVA

Textile Pattern

VARVARA STEPANOVA

Textile Pattern

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Tribute to Liubov Popova:

A FOUNDING MEMBER, AND ONE OF THE FEMALE CONSTRUCTIVISTS OF

THE AMAZONS IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

PAINTERLY ARCHIETETONIC, 1917

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PAINTERLY ARCHIETETONIC, 1917

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K. TSIOLKOVSKY

SPACE ELEVATOR

CITY

By Phil Carr-Harris

There are few tools as powerful as

narrative in exploring new ideas.

Science fiction is a form of narrative

which, while imaginative and in

many ways unlimited in its possibilities,

still has deep roots in the natural

sciences. In the Russian avant Garde,

art and science were connected in

creative work, allowing for both cognitive

and technical breakthroughs.

Michael Holquist names Konstantin

Tsioklovsky as one of the most important

figures of russian history to

operate at the intersection of art and

natural science. He is widely accepted

as the father of all practical attempts

at space travel and one of the

pioneers of Russian Science-Fiction.

Holquist does not suggest that Tsiolkovsky

belongs to the Avant-Garde,

but more so that he had an impact on

a number of artists working in recognized

Avant-Garde groups and those

who wished to break away from the

past through science and technology.

Tsiolkovsky’s importance is not confined

to the specific features he influenced

or shared with particular

artists in the Russian avant-garde in

the 1920s, for his career demonstrates

even today the universal role of that

emplotment plays in any attempt

to organize information, independent

of discursive considerations or

speech genres. His achievement elucidates

the relation between experimental

method, the specific structure

of perception characteristic of

human beings, and what I shall call

the “parabolic mandate,” that is, the

human imperative to shape the world

through allegories.

Tsiolkovsky published On the Mood

in 1893. The writer of the account and

his unnamed physicist friend awake

to find themselves in peculiar circumstances

- they are on the moon.

They do not focus on their reasons

for being on the moon, but instead,

indulge their curiosity as they explore

their new environment. Throughout

the story, the physicist explains why

they are experiencing the things they

are and does a number of practical

experiments to illustrate the difference

between the moon and the

earth. On the Moon is a great example

of Tsiolkovsky’s interest in both

science and narrative and his drive to

explore and discover space.

To understand Tsiolkovsky, it is crucial

to understand Nikolai Fyodorovich

Fyodorov, Tsiolkovsky’s teacher

at the Chertikov Library. Fyodorov

believed in the power of science

and technology. He believed that

that all conflicts and violence could

be ended by drawing people’s effort

to a common goal of overwhelming

importance to all human beings.

This goal is to overcome death with

knowledge and action. He believed

that all of our ancestors could be

brought back to life which would

stop the need for human reproduction

and put an end to the desires of

the flesh. With people being brought

back from the dead, the earth would

face overpopulation, so we would

need to colonize the cosmos.

Holquist argues that Tsiolkovsky’s

inventions and research was in service

of the “the philosophy of the

common task” and that in turning

his science into fiction, Tsiolkovsky

inspired the avant-gardes yet to come

with his parabolic visions.

This project is inspired by Fyodorov

and Tsiolkovsky and operates in the

delicate balance between science,

fiction, and allegory. A project that

deals with science and narrative at

the same time and is, in Holquist’s

words, “narratological”.

A series of four space-elevator cities

along the equator. One in the Atlantic

Ocean, one in the Indian Ocean,

and two in the Pacific Ocean. These

will allow for a people to permanently

live beyond Geostationary orbit

and pave the way for long-term space

travel and colonization of the cosmos.

These cities are physical manifestations

of humanity’s drive to explore,

discover, and improve.

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PROJECT

STUDENT

DATE

The relationship of the inhabitants of the

Tsiolkovsky space station to the outside is

negotiated with a translucent ETFE panel

system. This system sits under a layer of

glass in order to minimize discomfort due

to the rotation of the space station while at

the same time, allowing for sunlight to pass

through.

The tubular form is most efficient because

it performs well with pressure being applied

from all directions. The torus is also good in

this application because it provides rotational

stability.

The Tsiolkovsky space station acts firstly as

a stepping stone to greater space exploration

and secondly, as a research facility.

For both of these reasons, one of the livable

rings is dedicated to agriculture. The plants

are taken care of autonomously by machines

and provide a place for residents to

connect with the earth.

The second ring is dedicated to residences.

All of the residences are prefabricated dwellings

with courtyards to take full advantage

of the artificially controlled environment.

There is a wide variety of vegetation to

increase mental health.

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K. TSIOLKOVSKY SPACE ELEVATOR CITY

SPACE STATION - DECONSTRUCTED AXONOMETRIC OF LIVING AREA

THIS PROJECT IS A DESIGN EXPLORATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF A SPACE ELEVETOR AND HOW THAT CAN

INFLUENCE LONG DISTANCE SPACE EXPLORATION AND CONOLIZATION OF OTHER PLANETS.

scale 1:1250

0 5 25m

K. TSIOLKOVSKY SPACE ELEVATOR

PHIL CARR-HARRIS

19/12/11

07/08

PROJECT

STUDENT

DATE

3

1000

500

moon, [0.17g]

2

1

radius of station, [m]

100

50

earth, [1g]

5

10

4

5

0.1 0.5 1 5 10

station rotation rate, [rpm]

1. Low gravity manufacturing bay. For

materials with high strength values as well

as materials that conduct information with

minimal losses, zero-gravity can be a greatly

advantageous environment. Microgravity

allows materials to grow without any restrictions

and to mix evenly.

2. Mirror array. The mirror array allows for

the livable floors to get natural sunlight. The

mirrors direct sunlight through translucent

panels that reduce did-orientation on the

spinning space station.

3. Space arena. The space arena is for a

new form of sports arena in zero gravity.

It has a seating array at the bottom where

spectators can buckle in to watch teams

from different stations compete.

4. Elevator and space port. This is the main

transportation hub for the space station. It

combines a space port with docks for ships

to dock and the terminals that accept the

space elevators. There are customs that

process new arrivals, whether the traveler

is staying at the station or just passing

through.

5. Living tubes. The living tubes are separate

from the main axil of the space station

where the manufacturing and transit bays

are located. They are 2km in diameter and

rotate at 1 rpm. This simulates a comfortable

gravitational force of 1g.

K. TSIOLKOVSKY SPACE ELEVATOR CITY

SPACE STATION - AXONOMETRIC OVERVIEW

PHIL CARR-HARRIS

101

K. TSIOLKOVSKY SPACE ELEVATOR

19/12/11

102

PROUNAMETRIC

By Callum Nolan and Yannik Sigouin

EL LISSITZKY

El Lissitzky (1890 – 1941) was

a Russian artist, designer,

photographer, typographer

and architect. Best known for

h is ro le a s a leading figure i n

Russian avant-garde movement,

he helped to develop supremetism,

a precursor to the later Bauhaus

and Constructivist movements.

Suprematism rejected organic

and natural shapes, and instead

favoured pure geometric forms.

Despite being formally trained

as an architect, Lissitzky focused

primarily on graphic design,

painting and teaching, partially

due to the political climate in

Russia during the 1910s and

20s. During this time, Lissitsky

produced soviet propaganda

posters and paintings, depicting

the power struggle between

the reds (communists) and

whites (monarchists, liberals

and socialists who opposed the

Bolshevik revolution). Through

his propaganda, Lissitzky began

to develop his own suprematist

style, moving away from the

wholly non- objective style of his

suprematist peers.

Left: the constructor, self portrait

El Lissitzky, 1924

PROUN SERIES

Throughout his career, Lissitzky

blurred disciplinary boundaries,

combining painting, architecture

and graphic design principles.

This is most evident in his Proun

series.

The Proun series, ambiguously

described by the artist as, “the

station where one changes from

painting to architecture,” is a

collection of paintings spanning

from 1915-1927. The collections’

name is an acronym of the Russian

phrase the “new,” emphasizing

Lissitzky’s desire revolutionary

Russia.

At its core, Proun was Lissitzky’s

attempt to represent 3D space

in 2 dimensions; being an

architect, he was interested in

expanding suprematism beyond

axes and multiple perspectives,

he created distinctly architectonic

images, incorporating principles

of volume, mass, rhythm, colour

and space.

PROUNAMETRIC

Seemingly arbitrary, Lissitzky’s

Prouns actually follow a

remarkably similar language.

By arranging the paintings

chronologically and distilling

them to their basic elements, we

were able to pick out common

themes and patterns in his work

as he veered further and further

from traditional suprematism.

Similar to how Lissitzky was

interested in using his series

to create 3D space using a 2D

medium, we were interested in

translating 2D Prouns into digital

3D environments. Based on our

analysis, we defined parameters

and wrote a script that generates

randomized 3D “paintings”

from simple user defined forms.

However, rather than focusing

solely on the formal qualities

of Lissitzky’s paintings, we also

incorporated the temporal aspect

of his work; that is to say that each

generated “painting” is Proun

series. While we’re happy with

the results, we’re still interested in

Lissitsky’s continual redefinition

of the “new.” Further exploration

would include: How would our

generated environments manifest

themselves in physical rather

than digital space? Could these

paintings iterate on themselves,

creating compositions even

farther from Lissitzky’s postsuprematist

intent?

103

ANALYZE

SET

Proun Composition layered analysis

Proun Composition analy

Lissitzky’s Proun series, spanning 10 years. The

Our

paintings

first step

were

was

arrayed

analyzing

chronologically

a diverse sample of

and

Lissitzky’s

broken

Proun series, spanning 10 years. The paintings were arrayed

down into their essential elements – both formal

chronologically and broken down into their essential

2D composition and implied 3D space, as well as

elements – both formal 2D composition and implied 3D

colour. The 2D elements analyzed included negative

space, as well as colour. The 2D elements analyzed included

space, basic shapes, focal point, solid outline and

negative space, basic shapes, focal point, solid outline and

leading lines; whereas the 3D elements analyzed

leading lines; whereas the 3D elements analyzed included

included planes, intersection of 2D and 3D, and

planes, intersection of 2D and 3D, and outline of 3D elements,

outline of 3D elements, while the colour was broken

while the colour was broken down into average tonality and

down into average tonality and RGB values.

RGB values.

These element

created, forme

script. Basic

determined wh

Leading lines,

object. The fo

within the fram

the layer, and t

planes determ

deleted.

104

PROUN 1 A. BRIDGE I PROUN 23, NO.6 PROUN 1 C PROUN 5 A PROUN 30 PROUN 4 B PROUN 30 T PROUN 3 A

2D AND 3D

INTERIOR AND

INTERSECTION EXTENDED PLANES ORIENTATION LINES

NEGATIVE VS. POSI-

TIVE / BASIC SHAPES

OUTLINE / CENTROID

PROUN 4 B

1920

105

SET SET PARAMETERS

G

1915-1920

Proun Composition analysis breakdown

1921-1925

ears. The

nd broken

oth formal

as well as

d negative

utline and

analyzed

d 3D, and

as broken

es.

These elements, combined with the year each painting was

created, formed the parameters of our painting-generating

script.

These elements,

Basic shapes

combined

and

with the

the

year

number

each painting

of 3D

was

elements

created,

determined

formed the parameters

whether

of

or

our

not

painting-generating

objects got extruded

script.

or

Basic

sheared.

shapes

and the number of 3D elements determined whether or not objects got

Leading lines, and whether they trend towards parallel or

extruded or sheared. Leading lines, and whether they trend towards

parallel or object. The focal point was used to balance the objects

object. The focal point was used to balance the objects

within the frame. Average colour and tonality determined the layer, and

within the frame. Average colour and tonality determined

therefore colour of each object. The density of planes determined how

the layer, and therefore colour of each object. The density of

many digital polysurface-planes got deleted.

planes determined how many digital polysurface-planes got

deleted.

Finally, we gen

our sample set

of our 3D “paint

Lissitzky still m

and the other f

more natural fo

same methodo

resultant analys

106

05

Produce extended leading

lines to show the orientation of

prominent subject matter.

Outline the objects within the

painting.

Using the outlines of the objects

within a painting to locate the

centroid, or focal point, of the

painting.

Overlayed over the outlines of the

image, labels of the basic shapes

are produced - rectangle(s),

triangle(s), circle(s) - to show

the complexity of shapes within

the painting.

Utilizing the outlines of the

objects, produce a white fill

to demonstrate the contrast

between negative and positive

space of the painting.

Locate planes of prominent

subject matter and create

numerous lines to visually

represent.

Extend the plane lines to derive

multiple vanishing points within

the painting to understand 3D

spaciality.

01 02 03 04 06 07

START

DEFINE VARIABLES

50%

50%

1915 - 1920 1921 - 1925

up to 7

up to 4

RECTANGLE

ORGANIC

CIRCLE

SURFACE

if

if

1915 - 1920 1921 - 1925

107

ERS

GENERATE

1915-1920

1921-1925

h painting was

ing-generating

3D elements

ed or sheared.

rds parallel or

e the objects

ity determined

The density of

ace-planes got

Finally, we generated our 3D “paintings.” 40 samples were our sample set

Finally, we generated our 3D “paintings.” 40 samples were

as much as possible. Of the 40, we selected 2 of our 3D “paintings”, one

meant to be from before 1920, when Lissitzky still mostly conformed

our sample set as much as possible. Of the 40, we selected 2

to suprematist principles, and the other from after, once he started

of our 3D “paintings”, one meant to be from before 1920, when

experimenting with more natural forms. We analyzed these two in depth,

Lissitzky still mostly conformed to suprematist principles,

using the same methodology as with the original Prouns. This allowed us to

and

gage

the

the affectiveness

other from

of

after,

our script,

once

by

he

comparing

started

the

experimenting

resultant analysis

with

to

more

the that

natural

of the original

forms.

dataset.

We analyzed these two in depth, using the

same methodology as with the original Prouns. This allowed

resultant analysis to the that of the original dataset.

108

OUR PROUN SERIES

1915 - 1920

1915 - 1920

1921 - 1925

1921 - 1925

109

MOSCOW PRINTING PLANTS

By Caroline Brodeur and Anastasia Jaffray

110

111

Levenson Printing Works

Architect: Fyodor Shektel

Year Built: 1900

Patron/Client: A.A. Levenson

Intended Use: Editorial Building

Current Use: Offices

Sytin Printing House

Architect: Adolf Erikhson

Year Built: 1907

Patron/Client: Ivan Sytin

Intended Use: Editorial Offices and Sytin Family

Living Quarters


Utro Rossii Building

Architect: Fyodor Shekhtel

Year Built: 1907

Patron/Client: Utro Rossi Newspaper

Intended Use: Office and Printing Works


Pravda Printing Plant

Architect: Aleksandrovich Golosov

Year Built: 1935

Patron/Client: Pravda Newspaper

Intended Use: Printing Plant

Current Use: Hillsong Church

Moscow and Commercial Plant

112

Leningradskaya Pravda

Architect: Vesnin Brothers (Alexander Vesnin)

Year Built: 1924

Patron/Client: Pravda Newspaper Company

Intended Use: Advertising and Editorial Office

Leningradskaya Pravda

Architect: Constantin Melnikov

Year Built: 1924

Patron/Client: Pravda Newspaper Company

Intended Use: Advertising and Editorial Office

Izvestia Building Entry

Architect: Grigory Barkhin

Year Built: 1927

Patron/Client: Izvestia Newspaper Company

Intended Use: Office and Printing Company

Izvestia Building

Architect: Grigory Barkhin

Year Built: 1927

Patron/Client: Izvestia Newspaper Company

Intended Use: Office and Printing Company

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