Chapter 15 Summary

Chapter 15: A New Language of Form

This chapter discusses how the Russian suprematism and communism influenced graphic design through the use of a “cubo-futurism” style that experimented with typography and design, as well as “suprematism.” This painting style of basic forms and pure color was founded by Kasimir Malevich, providing a new, nonobjective geometric abstraction to graphic design. Art was seen by constructivists as a social/political role, a duty for artists to fulfill. El Lissitzky was a large influence on constructivism; he created the PROUNS painting style of 3D illusions, which showed the “interchange between painting and architecture.” He also was an innovator of montage and photomontage. Rodchenko, Klutsis and Lebedev were three other influences on the constructivism movement. The De Stijl movement was launched in the Netherlands in 1917 by Theo van Doesburg. It was an abstract geometric style that its forerunners wanted to become a prototype for a new social order. Mondrian’s paintings were an influence on Doesburg and his movement, which saw abstraction as the way to an ultimate reality. It sought an expression of mathematical structure of the universe and universal harmony of nature.

What I found interesting about these two movements is again the use of primary colors and bold, flat shapes that has seemed to pervade the artistic influences of the movements before and perhaps after this movement. I wonder why they are so limiting in the use of the primary colors though. It is because printing cannot print many complex colors yet?