Constructivism (updated)

Research shows that Constructivim was manly an art and architectural movement which rejected the whole idea of "art for art sake" one of the main characteristics of the Movement the total commitment to and acceptance of modernity.

one can obviously notice that the designs were totally abstract and that the emphasis is on the geometrical shapes. The Movement's designs were rarely  emotional and the themes were very minimal when the work was broken down to the basic elements


Constructivism was primarily an art and architecture movement with origins in Russia. At that time Russia was torn by the turbulence of world war one and then the Russian Revolution in the second decade of the 20th century. Constructivism rejected the idea of "Art for Art sake" and the traditional.

The Term Constructivism was first coined by Kasimir Malevich in reference to the work of Alexander Rodchenko. Graphic design in the Constructivism movement ranged form product packaging to logos, posters, book covers and advertisements. 

The best known graphic designers around the constructivism period were Alexander Rodchenko, El Lissitzky and Anton Lavinsky. 

As can be seen in the example above Constructivism in graphic design was minimalist, geometric, abstract, orderly and rarely emotional. 

"Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge" 1919 by El Lessitzky

In 1919 El Lissitzky created the above political propaganda poster during the Russian civil war. The colours and shapes symbolize the competition and political change that was going on at the time in Russia. The red symbolized the Bolshevik party and was associated with the communists and the white symbolized those fighting against the  Bolshevik party. The red wedge can be seen shattering the white form in this composition. By creating political symbolic designs Lissitzky was beginning to make a style of his own.

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc.pg302

References

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc.