Carving and construc tion in space, 1937, defines the characteristics which make a work of art a sculpture. Constructivism was the last and most influential modern art movement to flourish in russia in the 20 th century. Constructivism was an artistic and architectural movement that originated in russia from 19 by vladimir tatlin onward which rejected the idea of art for arts sake in favour of art for social purposes. Oct 21, 20 naum gabo kbe, born naum neemia pevsner 5 august o. Constructivism routledge encyclopedia of modernism. Aleksei gan used the word as the title of his book constructivism, printed in 1922. He then lived in russia 19171922, germany 193221932, france 19321935, and england 19361946 before emigrating to the united states in 1946 and settling in connecticut. Basic principles of constructivism the brothers saba and pevsner. Employing materials such as glass, celluloid, plastic, stone, and metal, gabo produced sculptures which sought to redefine traditional views on form and space.
Germany was the site of the most constructivist activity outside of the soviet union especially as home to walter gropiuss bauhaus, a progressive art and design school sympathetic to the movement but constructivist ideas were also carried to other art centers, like paris, london, and. Realist manifesto, naum gabo and antoine pevsner, 1920. See available prints and multiples, sculpture, and works on paper for sale and learn about the artist. First, his work, being an original work has opened up door to research in the field of art on different ways that can be used to utilize available materials in nature in coming up with artistic pieces that are motivating, original and that carry a feeling and emotion of humanity. Constructivism is a purely technical mastery and organisation of materials. Constructivism first appears as a positive term in naum gabos realistic manifesto of 1920. It evolved just as the bolsheviks came to power in the october revolution of 1917, and initially it acted as a lightning rod for the hopes and ideas of many of the most advanced russian artists who supported the revolutions goals. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This blog is created for you to find informations about russian constructivism and designs of major constructivists and modern designs inspired by constructivist art. Naum gabo, original name naum neemia pevsner, born august 5, 1890, bryansk, russiadied august 23, 1977, waterbury, connecticut, u. Naum gabo and the utopian potential of plastics maille radford.
Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. The term construction art was first used as a derisive term by kazimir malevich to describe the work of alexander rodchenko in 1917. Read sculpture by naum gabo essay sample for free at. As a young man in postrevolutionary russia, gabo was closely associated with. Naum gabo, kbe born naum neemia pevsner 5 august o. Gabo elaborated many of his ideas in the constructivist realistic manifesto, which he.
Art is not concerned with the meditation about what is and how it came to be. We proclaim today to you artists, painters, sculptors, musicians, actors, poets to you people to whom art is no mere ground for conversation but the source of real exaltation, our word and deed. While the bauhaus and soviet constructivism do not represent modernism entirely, and, to some extent, diverge from its trajectory, such organizations represent particular episodes in modernism that influenced much of art, design, architecture and education in the u. Gabo was never fully accepted into the russian constructivist circle due to his continuing devotion to the category of art, and his disinterest in making utilitarian objects. Constructivism merging art and engineering harmony between art and new technology the materials themselves have an artistic propensity utilitarian art instead of art for art s sake, art to serve societys needs. Pdf principles of lightweight structures in the sculptural. Realistic manifesto naum gabo, antoine pevsner, 1920.
Naum gabo born naum neemia pevsner 1890 1977 hebrew. Male vich, tatlin and rodchenko were the bestknown of the artists with whom pevsner and gabo became associated in 1917. Constructivism is a philosophy in art that originated in russia in the early 20 th century between the 1910s and 1920s. Here, the concept of traditional mass was abandoned in pursuit of a new appraisal of. History of art and visual culture, university of oxford, uk. There are various comments that can be made towards the work of naum gabo as a student of the 20 th century art.
Pdf naum gabo and the utopian potential of plastics bowdoin. Germany was the site of the most constructivist activity outside of the soviet union especially as home to walter gropiuss bauhaus, a progressive art and design school sympathetic to the movement but constructivist ideas were also carried to other art centers. Naum gabo, born naum borisovich pevsner, was a russian sculptor. Constructivism can be described as a school of thought that promotes the personal reflection as a way of creating or constructing understanding in nature. Constructivism as an active force lasted until around 1934, having a great deal of effect on the art of the weimar republic and.
We affirm in these arts a new element the kinetic rhythms as the basic forms of our perception of. Exhibit art that was rejected by the traditional conservatism of the austrian artists society. Constructivism was an artistic and architectural movement that originated in russia from 19 by vladimir tatlin onward which rejected the idea of art for art s sake in favour of art for social purposes. Naum gabo naum gabo, born naum neemia pevsner 5 august 1890 23 august 1977 was a prominent russian sculptor in the constructivism movement and a pioneer of kinetic art. It is intentionally built up by mankind in three dimensional space. Constructivism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The constructivist manifesto art as the expression of.
Here, the concept of traditional mass was abandoned in pursuit of a new appraisal of the depth of space and, thus, the void. Also available are free pdf, epub, and mobi downloads. The expatriate russian sculptors antoine pevsner and naum gabo. He moved back to russia in 1917, to become involved in politics and art. The art of naum gabo and antoine pevsner by herbert read. Gabos scientific approach to art, added to antoines knowledge of artistic techniques, resulted in a new art and, more concretely, in a new conception of sculpture. Credit line organized by the dallas museum of art with the generous support of a grant from the national endowment for the arts, a federal agency, and an indemnity from the federal council on the arts and humanities. In constructivist ideology, structure a threedimensional concept is seen as more important. To understand the characteristics of poster art and constructivism that gave.
To understand the characteristics of poster art and constructivism that gave these artists the same goals, we must first examine the problems of defining the. Gabo was educated in russia and munich before emigrating to scandinavia in 1915. Pdf the russianborn artist naum gabo 18901977 often employed new. The term constructivism is thought to have been derived from the manifesto, although other sources have been suggested. Russian sculptor early life naum gabo 1890 1977 was born in briansk, russia, and is consider a pioneer in constructivist movement and was consider to be the most influential sculptors of 20th century naum gabo changed his name from naum neemia pevsner to help distinguish himself from his artistic brother called antoine pevsner. Which of the following artists was a constructivist sculptor. Russian posters and constructivism 19171924 adam ruder senior history thesis april 14, 2003. Gabo contributed to the agitprop open air exhibitions and taught at vkhutemas the higher art and technical workshop, with tatlin, kandinsky and rodchenko. Naum gabo was also associated with certain artistic movements during his time as an artist. His work combined geometric abstraction with a dynamic organization of form in small reliefs and. Constructivism was a postworld war i development of. The expatriate russian sculptors antoine pevsner and naum gabo joined tatlin and his followers in moscow.
But though the two broth ers accepted malevichs nonobjective goals, they found the austere forms and pure colors of suprematism too limited. Naum gabo was a russian sculptor involved in the constructivist movement alongside vladimir tatlin. Gabo s scientific approach to art, added to antoines knowledge of artistic techniques, resulted in a new art and, more concretely, in a new conception of sculpture. Gabo studied medicine and natural science, then philosophy and art. Naum gabo s structurally complex, mesmeric abstract sculptures cast a shadow over the whole of 20 thcentury art, while his life was that of the quintessential creative emigre, as he moved from country to country seeking new contexts for his work, in flight from war and repression. It heavily influenced graphic and industrial designers.
Constructivism was consolidated as a movement at inkhuk institute of artistic culture in moscow. To begin with, naum was associated with the constructivism. Constructivism was an invention of the russian avantgarde that found adherents across the continent. A resource on constructivism, focusing primarily on the movement in russia and eastcentral europe from the late 1910s through the 1930s. The page contains an overview of major exhibitions and catalogues, selection of works, list of digitised magazines, pamphlets and books, anthologies of texts also merged into a single table, historical studies and analyses, and profiles of artists. Nash has long been interested in constructivist art, and we are indebted to him. Declaring that a postrevolutionary society demanded a radically new artistic language, constructivist artists, led by aleksandr rodchenko, aimed to strip their works of subjective emotional character, eventually even rejecting painting as an individualist bourgeois form. Russian sculptors naum gabo and antoine pevsner coined the term to refer to their work, which appeared to be industrial in style. Naum gabo 18901977 one of the great abstract sculptors of the twentieth century, the russian artist naum neemia pevsner more commonly known as naum gabo was a key figure in the constructivism movement, a pioneer of kinetic art and an important exemplar of. Constructivism first appears as a positive term in naum gabo s realistic manifesto of 1920. Constructivism was suppressed in russia in the 1920s but was brought to the west by naum gabo and his brother antoine pevsner and has been a major influence on modern sculpture. His work utilized what is known as stereometric construction, by which form is achieved through the description of space rather than mass.
Realistic manifesto 1920 naum gabo and antoine pevsner. Naum gabo kbe, born naum neemia pevsner was a prominent. His work combined geometric abstraction with a dynamic. Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in russia beginning in 1919, a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. Constructivism, a modern art style of assemblage art or sculpture, conceived initially by vladimir tatlin 18851953, combined the dynamism of futurism and the geometry of cubism. Sixty years of constructivism dallas museum of art. Naum gabo 18901977 was a pioneer of the russian constructivist art movement. Developed by the russian avantgarde at the time of the october revolution of 1917. This is a chapter in piero scaruffis a visual history of.
Additional funding was provided by akin, gump, strauss, hauer and feld, and knoll. His work utilized what is known as stereometric construction, by which form is achieved through t. The constructivist manifesto art as the expression of life. See more ideas about kinetic art, constructivism and art. Naum gabo 16 artworks painting visual art encyclopedia. Naum gabo 18901977 one of the great abstract sculptors of the twentieth century, the russian artist naum neemia pevsner more commonly known as naum gabo was a key figure in the constructivism movement, a pioneer of kinetic art and an important exemplar of russian sculpture. The sculptors antoine pevsner and naum gabo published a realistic manifesto in 1920, which articulated this new approach.