Modern Art Movement in Russia - Essay Example

Modern Art movement in Russia Introduction “I believe the term avant-garde can be profitably used to distinguish and artists who believe not only that the world they inhabit is essentially modern and that they need to find an aesthetic language to express this newness, but also that they are in some manner in advance of a future state of art and society which their innovative works will help to bring into existence” (Russell, 1985, viii). During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century there were perceptible changes in the perceived social values of the western world. This was the era of industrialisation, and many set notions or ideas of the past years were undergoing radical changes. “This modern life was considered to be urban, industrially based, socially fluid, and defined by the notion of capital or interchangeable wealth”(Brettell, 1999, 1). These changed social norms set into roll a sort of metamorphosis, that brought about wide spread changes which had far reaching consequences, and this evolution was popularly known as Modernism. Modernism thus, broadly defined all the significant social changes pertaining to arts, culture, literary writings, architecture, and religious beliefs that rebelled against the theory of realism and all other conservative traditions, which took place at the turn of the nineteenth century (Barth, 1980, 65-71). The proponents of this theory felt that all traditional forms of art, architecture, religious and social norms were losing relevance in the modern industrial age, and thus must be changed. Modernism to some extent rejected the philosophy of Enlightenment, and completely denied the existence of the powerful creator, God (Pericles, 2000). It questioned all the theories of the past era, and believed in the theory of self consciousness. It is this belief that led to various experiments in the field of art and led to the formation of what is known as ‘abstract art’ (Gardner, De la Croix, Richard, Tansey, and Kirkpatrick, 1991).   In Russia, this wave of modernism in the world of art, is also known as avant-garde, and it broke away from all traditional and old forms, creating a new style that was more connected to the daily lives of the common people, encouraging works on folk art and icon painting. Till the 1910s, the Russian avant-garde movement focussed itself primarily on village life, religion, urban life; but later on as social movement became more oriented towards bringing about reforms for the industrial workers, the Russian avant-garde artists moved towards the factory settings and the frantic pace of the urban lives. After the 1917 Russian Revolution that heralded the end of the Russian czars, avant-garde took a new turn under the Bolshevik regime, and burst forth into the scenario with even more vigour. At this time some of the Russian abstract artists under the avant-garde movement turned Constructivists, and asserted that art and life are two synonymous terms, and all artists must necessarily become technicians and learn the art of handling tools and other technicalities used during modern art production. Russian avant-garde continued with full zest till about the 1930s, after which, Russia under Stalin was suddenly forced to turn its face away from the theory of modernism, and look into what was known ‘Soviet realism’. My article will examine two works of the famous Russian artists, Kazimir Malevich, and Naum Gabo; who defined avant-garde through abstraction before the Second World War. This article will also take a look at modernism as was seen in Europe at the same time, and based on the works of these two famous artists will compare and contrast Russian avant-garde with European modernism. Discussion “The realisation of perception in of the world the forms of space and time are the only aim of our pictorial and plastic art. In them we do not measure our works with the yardstick of beauty...pounds of tenderness and sentiments” (Naum Gabo, cited in Gabo and Read, 1957, 151-152) Concept of Modernism in art: In mid- nineteenth century (1850s to 1880s) just before the era of Modernism set in we find the existence of the Impressionists. These artists faithfully reproduced what they saw in real life, especially the bourgeoisie life, comprising of good food, urban environments, and an enjoyment of all things luxurious and beautiful (Clark, 1992, 40). Modernism, in theory, as we have already seen relates to a revolt to all things, ideas, and norms of the past. Modernism can be viewed broadly in three aspects which are: a) it is an assessment of the past that concludes that it is different from present, and thus values and norms associated with past may not be always be relied upon to produce effective results at present; b) it is an acknowledgment that the world is at present a more complex place; c) and all the so called supreme beings like, ‘God and all religious heads’, ‘King and state government’, natural sciences, and even human reasoning, should be played under constant intense scrutiny, and challenged at any time. Various art movements came under the umbrella of Modernism, like Dada, Cubism, Surrealism and Les Fauves. The avant-garde movement which became popular in Russia in the early twentieth century before the World War, was an offshoot of Modernism that was claimed to have arisen from Dadaism, and through the Situationists movement later formed the Post Modernism form of art. In fact it is considered that the avant-garde form of art separates Modernism from the Post Modernism, and keeps both distinctly separate from each other. What is avant garde? Avant-garde, a French term, when literally translated means the fore guard or vanguard (Călinescu, 1987, 95). It is used in English, as a connotation for people and their works; mostly in regards to arts and culture, that are innovative, revolutionary and path breaking in nature. Avant-garde means pushing the limits of what is considered to be the ‘artistic borders’ in traditional cultural views. People who represent avant-garde are fore runners in their particular fields (similar to the fore guard in the army ranks that lead owing to their highly specialised skills, while the rest simply follow), and they find new paths into new arenas of the arts and culture, for the society to follow later. Avant-garde is very closely associated with socialism, and it is to the radical socialist theory that Saint Simonian Olinde Rodrigues refers to, when he writes, “it is we as artists who will serve as your avant-garde: the power of the arts is indeed the most immediate and the fastest” (ibid, 103) means to achieve reforms in all social and political fields. Later avant-garde brought forth the view “Not art for art’s sake, but not art for the people’s sake either. Art for my sake”... (D.H. Lawrence, cited in Grampp, 1989, 205). Thus, this view signalled the movement of arts in a different direction, from working for social reforms, into an area where one could explore the various unexplored frontiers of aesthetic experiences of the artists. Russian Modernism, better known as Russian avant-garde, can be broadly divided into three different types, all occurring simultaneously, within the same time period in history. These were Constructivism, Suprematism and Rayonism. All three were characterised by the portrayal of abstract figures and art. Constructivism was first created by Vladimir Tatlin in 1913 and was heavily influenced by the works of Picassa in Paris. Constructivists did not believe in pure abstract ideas, and always tried to connect life with something tangible. Suprematism created by Malevich, was a school of pure abstract arts, and brought in the idea of aesthetic pleasure of the artists through their practice of art. Malevich wanted to free art from the bonds of what is known as ‘representational arts’. What is abstract art? Within avant-garde, the class of arts that portrayed any object (as for example, an apple) in a visual language, that is, through certain forms and colours, which deviated from representing that particular object (the apple) in its true original form as is perceived in real life; or in simpler words, the apple, in abstract arts, must not be like an apple (Arnheim, 1969). From the time of Renaissance till the middle of the nineteenth century, art in Europe has centred upon duplicating the exact reality that was visible around. With the industrial era changing many of the old world values, norms, and practices, many artists felt a need to change the form and representation of art, so as to encompass the phenomenal changes pertaining to science and technology, societal values, and religious norms, that were occurring around them. The theories of these artists (mostly all Russian avant-garde artists were the fore-runners of abstract art) were founded on diverse factors and reflected the various social and intellectual upheavals that were evident in the whole of Europe, at that particular time (Gooding, 2001). Abstract arts is thus a conscious deviation from the representing the reality, as it is seen. This degree of deviation may vary from being only a slight one; to a partial deviation; to a deviation that may be complete, thus changing completely the perspective of what we see in real life. As Gabo says “the [abstract artist’s] idea does not see that the function of art is to represent the world. It does not impose on art the function of science” (Gabo, 2003, 386). Case study 1: Work of Kazimir Severinovich Malevich Fig A: Black square, Kazimir, c. 1915, 106.2 X 106.5 the Russian museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, Oil on canvas. (Source: The artstory.org, 2010). This is an iconic piece of art by Kazimir Malevich which symbolised his theories of Suprematism. The main pictorial element in this composition is the abstract square, which is a geometrical shape, and the picture has been done simply in two basic colours of black and white. His Suprematism was based on the conception of infinite spaces that would allow the spectator to concentrate on spirituality in a general sense. As per Malevich, the apprehension of such forms should be free from the bonds of all reasoning and logic. This is necessary, since to gain the knowledge of absolute truth, one must possess the pure feeling. Soon this picture became a sort of holy image for all kinds of non-representational art, and according to Malevich helped him to transform into “zero of forms”, that is, to create new art for the society. Fig A represents the first image which was created in 1915, and was conceived when there was an autocratic society with serfdom present to serve the rich and the nobles. After this picture was created, within the next two years the entire social setting in Russia changed forever, owing to the Russia revolution. The sheerness and starkness of the second version, conceived in 1929 (at present in the Tretyakov gallery in Courtauld Institute of Art in London), thus now can be said to represent “a utopian metaphor for the social and economic changes of revolution and the futuristic ambitions of the new state” (Newall and Pooke, 2008, 74). Thus Malevich’s art which represented Russian modernism can be said to portray the socialist Russia, which came into existence after the 1917 revolution. His work which was influenced by Cubism was also futuristic in form and utopian. in nature. Case Study 2: ‘Square Relief’ by Naum Gabo Fig: B “square relief”, Naum Gabo, c. 1920-21 & 1937-38, Perspex in Perspex box 11.7 X 11.6 X6.8 cm (Source: Terminartors). This ‘construction’ by Naum Gabo in 1930 (a replica by the artist himself of his previous work, which was created in 1921), is made from Perspex and is based on anodised aluminium, which were considered to be new material during that era, a time period which was by itself a new aeon, in regards to social norms and political values. Gabo’s sculptural work rose from his belief in “light, time and space as sculptural elements” (Nash, 1985, 9). Gabo had completed his work before USSR cultural policies were implemented, and his Square relief came to symbolise all that was represented by the early Bolshevik ideals of innovation, abstract, modern or futuristic, and a dream of utopia; using which the socialists came to power in Russia. Initially motivated by the Bolshevik’s aspirations to modernise the society as a whole, Gabo was part of the revolution (he had to flee USSR in 1923, following Stalin’s persecution of all abstract and avant-garde artists) and an active member of the Russian avant-garde group of artists that represented Russian modernism in the field of arts and culture. Thus, it is very clear that Russian modernism represented radicalism, and abstract thought, which was innovative and futuristic in form, and utopian in nature. If we compare these iconic images of the Russian modernism or Avant-garde, we will find that these are quite different from what we consider as European modernism. In European modernism which started in the 1850s with Baudelaire, and ended with Beckett in 1950s, brought forth a change in the field of art and culture, literary writings, social and philosophical thinking, and political views. These changes that came in were an acknowledgement of the changing times and the newness that must come in with the evolving era. Major main stream modern theorists and canonical modernists of Europe found out new ways to express their comprehension of the diverging times and their futuristic views. Modernists sought to question the existent political, social, and religious norms, but they did not outright reject the very existence of God, or religion, or all social norms, that had been functioning for so long. They did not reject the old and the traditional way of thinking and living, directly. Rather, the European modernists were more oriented towards finding a new, modern perspective to view the old, and sought about to create a bridge between the traditional and modern arts and artists. European modernism was thus a dynamic process which can be perceived as a “cultural outcome of the modernity, the social experience of living in the modern world” (Meecham & Sheldon, 2005, 15). Russian modernism or Russia avant-garde artists were more radical in their thoughts and beliefs. Their movement was characterised by a strong impulse to bring in the new, and a strong sense of anti-traditionalism (as we noted in both the arts, partaken in the case study). In the process to rapidly cut away from all things old, the Russian avant-garde group of artists sought a complete dissolution of the traditional, and attacked all arts and culture, and even the institutions that were well accepted within the bourgeois society. Thus, Russian avant-garde accepted an abrupt discontinuity with the traditional, and advocated a complete rejection of all things that were old, including those that were considered generally to be aesthetic and of good taste by the society. Russian modernism, which was more revolutionary than evolutionary, thus can be said to be composed of elements of nihilism, a certain lack of seriousness, intellectual impudence to a certain extent and a degree of mystification. The differences between the two forms are best summed by Williams, when he says “It is not easy to make simple distinctions between modernism and the avant-garde, especially as many uses of these labels are retrospective...modernism can be said to begin with the second type of group - the alternative, radically innovative experimental artists and writers - while the avant-garde begins with groups of the third, fully oppositional type...Modernism had proposed a new kind of art for a new kind of social and perceptual world. The avant-garde, aggressive from the beginning, saw itself as the breakthrough to the future: its members were not the bearers of a progress already repetitiously defined, but the militants of a creativity which would revive and liberate humanity” (Williams, 1988, 2-3). Conclusion: Thus, though both European modernism and Russian modernism wanted to usher in the new processes of the evolving times, the difference lay in their methods of welcoming the change. Russian modernism being more radical than European modernism rejected everything that was old and traditional. In the process they rejected many things that were accepted by the society as aesthetic and of cultural value. However both the forms of modernism were futuristic and innovative, and were ready to usher in the changes that were perceived in the social, economic, political and religious dimensions of the peoples’ lives at that time. Bibliography Arnheim, R. 1969. Visual thinking. London: University of California Press. Barth, J. 1980. “The literature of replenishment: postmodernist fiction”, In Atlantic Monthly, 290, 65-71. Brettell, R. 1999. Modern Art 1851-1929. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1. Călinescu, M. 1987. Five faces of modernity: modernism, avant-garde, decadence, kitsch, postmodernism. Indiana: Duke University Press, 95. Clark T. 1992. “The painting of modern life”, In Francis Frascina and Jonathan Harris, (eds.), Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical Texts. London:, Phaidon/ Open University, 40. Gabo, N., and Read, H. 1957. Gabo: constructions, sculpture, paintings, drawings, engravings . London: Harvard University Press. Gabo, N. 2003. “The constructivist idea in art”, In Charles Harrison and Paul Woods (eds.), Art in Theory: 1900-2000. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 386. Gardner, H., De la Croix, H., Richard, G., Tansey, R,. & Kirkpatrick. D. 1991. Gardners Art through the Ages. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, p. 953. Gooding, M. 2001. Abstract Art. London: Tate Publishing. Grampp, W., 1989. Pricing the Priceless: Art, Artists, and Economics. New York: Basic Books, 205. Meecham,P., and Sheldon, J. 2005. Modern art: a critical introduction. New York: Routledge, 15. Pericles L. 2000. Modernism, Nationalism, and the Novel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 38-39. Pooke, G., & Newall, D. 2008. Art history: the basics. New York: Routledge, 74. Russell, C. 1985.  Poets, Prophets and Revolutionaries: The Literary Avant-garde f From Rimbaud through Postmodernism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, viii. Williams, R. 1988. “The Politics of the Avant-Garde”, In Edward Timms and Peter Collier (eds.), Visions and Blueprints: Avant-Garde Culture and Radical Politics in Early Twentieth-Century Europe. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2-3. Fig A (Black square, Kazimir): The artstory.org. 2010. Accessed at, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-malevich-kasimir.htm Fig B (“Square Relief”, Naum Gabo): Terminartors. 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