Authors

Discussion

Following the 1917 socialist revolution, the Department of Fine Arts of the People's Commissariat for Education was established, alongside its subdivisions.  Journals such as Fine Arts and anthology Arts in Production were published, where critics and artists discussedart in relation to production and daily life. In 1921, at the Institute of Artistic Culture (InKhUK), artists such as Alexandr Rodchenko, Varvara Stepanova, the Stenberg brothers, Karl Ioganson, and Aleksei Gan, formed The First Working Group of Constructivists, marking the emergence of Russian Constructivism. Their goal was to integrate techniques from the fine arts into the production of objects such as clothes, graphics, book designs, furniture, and stage settings.

In the journals Lef (published in 1923) and New Lef, critics of productivism, such as Boris Kushner, Osip Brik, and Boris Arvatov, argued for replacing the production of artworks with industrial production. In addition to productivist theories, these journals showcased constructivist works and practices. In 1922, Kushner, Brik, and Arvatov began lecturing at InKhUK. While productivist ideas rooted in Marxism were not universally embraced by former artists, they significantly influenced constructivist practices. This presentation analyzes the work of members of VKhuTEMAS [Higher Art and Technical Studios], a hub of Russian constructivism, and the output of constructivists such as Rodchenko, Stepanova, Lyubov Popova, and El Lissitzky. I will explore how productivist theories directly or indirectly shaped constructivist works.