El Lissitzky

Lazar Markovich Lissitzky {{Audio|ru-El_Lissitzky.ogg|listen}} (?????? ???????? ????????, November 23, 1890 – December 30, 1941), better known as El Lissitzky (??? ????????), was a Russian artist, designer, photographer, teacher, typographer, and architect. He was one of the most important figures of the Russian avant garde, helping develop suprematism with his friend and mentor, Kazimir Malevich, and designed numerous exhibition displays and propaganda works for the former Soviet Union. His work greatly influenced the Bauhaus, Constructivist, and De Stijl movements and experimented with production techniques and stylistic devices that would go on to dominate 20th century graphic design.

Later years

In 1924 Lissitzky went to Switzerland to receive treatment for his tuberculosis. He kept very busy during his stay, working on advertisements designs for Pelikan Industries (who in turn paid for his treatment), translating articles written by Malevich into German, and experimented heavily in typographic design and photography. In 1925, after the Swiss government denied his request to renew his visa, Lissitzky returned to Moscow and began teaching interior design, metalwork, and architecture at VKhUTEMAS (State Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops), a post he would keep until 1930.

Related Topics:
1924 - Switzerland - Tuberculosis - Photography - 1925 - Interior design - Metalwork - VKhUTEMAS - 1930

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While there he all but stopped his Proun works and became increasingly active in architecture and propaganda designs. In 1926, he and architect Emil Roth designed the Wolkenbügel (Cloud-iron), a unique skyscraper on 3 posts planned for Moscow. Although never built, the building was a vivid contradiction to America's vertical building style, as the building only rose up a relatively modest height then expanded horizontally over an intersection so make better use of space. Its three posts were on three different street corners, canvasing the intersection. An illustration of it appeared on the front cover of Adolf Behne's book, Der Moderne Zweckbau, and articles on it written by Lissitzky appeared in an issue of the Moscow-based architectural review, ASNOVA (The Association of New Architects), and in the German art journal Das Kunstblatt.

Related Topics:
1926 - Emil Roth - Skyscraper - America's - Adolf Behne - Moscow

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition to his work in architecture at the time he also began designing numerous exhibition displays for the government including the Internationale Kunstausstellung in Dresden, and the Raum Konstruktive Kunst (Room for Constructivist art) and Abstraktes Kabinett in Hanover, along with many Soviet pavilions including one of their pavilions at the 1939 World Fair in New York. One of his most notable exhibits was the Polygraphic Exhibit in Moscow in 1927, which won him a state appointment as head of the team of artists who would design the coming pavilions. His work on the exhibit was radically new, especially juxtaposed to the very classical designs of other participating countries. This garnered Lissitzky much praise from the foreign and domestic press, with one English newspaper columnist wrote: "Everything in it is so exceptionally interesting. The author of these words should consider himself lucky if he could say the same about the British pavilion."

Related Topics:
Exhibition - Dresden - 1939 - World Fair in New York - English

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Along with pavilion design, Lissitzky began experimenting with print media again. His work with book and periodical design was perhaps some of his most accomplished and influential. He launched new and radical innovations in typography and photomontage, two fields which he was particularly adept in. He even designed a photomontage birth announcement in 1930 for his recently born son, Jen. itself is seen as being another personal endorsement of the Soviet Union, as it superimposed an image of the infant Jen over a factory chimney, linking Jen's future with his country's industrial progress. Around this time, Lissitzky's interest in book design escalated. In his remaining years, some of his most challenging and innovative works in this field would develop. In discussing his vision of the book he wrote:

Related Topics:
Typography - Photomontage

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::In contrast to the old monumental art itself goes to the people, and does not stand like a cathedral in one place waiting for someone to approach... monument of the future 3

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He perceived books as permanent objects that were invested with power. This power was unique in that it could transmit ideas to people of different times, cultures, and interests, and do so in ways other art forms couldn't. This represented a thread of ambition that laced all of his work, particularly in his later years. Lissitzky was devoted to the idea of creating art with power and purpose; art that could invoke change.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A significant portion of his work during this period was Soviet propaganda. He started working for the propaganda magazine USSR im Bau (USSR in construction), where some of his most wild experiments with book design were produced. Each issue focused on a particular topic important to Stalin at the time — a new dam being built, constitutional reforms, Red Army progress and so on. In 1941 he became ill again with tuberculosis, but still continued to produce works, with one of his latest works being a propaganda poster for Russia's efforts in World War II, entitled "Davaite pobolshe tankov!" (Give us more tanks!) He died on December 30, 1941, in Moscow.

Related Topics:
Stalin - Red Army - 1941 - World War II

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~