Unit 2 - Lecture 2

-Kasimir Malevich
-Minimalist aesthetic: abstraction, pure forms, nothingness, blankness
-Suprematism: theoretical model for an abstract visual language
-Taking the image out of an image, pure 2D form (cubo-futurism)
-Constructivism forms out of cubo-futurists and supremacists
-Rodchenko: main constructivist
-Photography takes leading role
-3 principles of Constructivism- tectonic, texture, construction
-Combative character of contents
-Coincided with montage film and shared same vocabulary: simultaneous action, superimposing images, extreme close-ups and perspective, rhythmic repetition of an image
-Graphic system: standardized format created economy
-Rodchenko made things more dynamic
-EL Lissitzky: innovator of 20th century graphic design
-Spread the word of the formal idea
-Developed painting style called Prouns
-Prouns Space: synthesis of architectural concept "interchange station between painting and architecture"
-Beat the Whites With The Red Wedge: icon of the 20th century
-Birth of the universal language of form
-Of Two Squares: promised a new graphic syntax based on mixing verbal and visual signs to speed absorption of info
-New syntax: "the diagram"
-For the Voice by Mayakovsky
-Red square signifies bloodstained town squares
-"once a symbols role is established you no longer have to think about its meaning"
-Lissitzky become conduit for the flow of Suprematist and Constructivist ideas into Western Europe
-Invention of the modern typographic grid
-The "Isms" of Art - 1914-1924 : one of the most influential graphic designs of 20th century : covered everything that was being done
-First book visually programed as a total object based on modernist style
-EL Lissitzky becomes first exhibition designer to be fully realized
-Russian exhibition in Switzerland, equality for female and male, iconic poster for the exhibition
-Salomon Telligater: wittier, colorful, original
-Steinberg Brothers: movie poster design
-They begin not apologizing for the illustrative character of their work
-Communication begins between the greats of the time
-Many of the participants in these movements became commercial, moved the design into the spot light and changed design on a world wide scale

I love the Supremacist and Constructivist style of design. Kandinsky is one of my favorite artists and i found all of this extremely interesting. It was great seeing where that entire design sense came from and how it was used to influence an entire population and time period. The way the Russian revolution shaped the movements is immensely interesting. The amount Modern design was influenced by this period is crazy. Its funny that our idea of what is "modern" now a days was also modern almost 100 years ago. Great lecture today.