In the early 20th century, a wave of artistic rebellion surged through the hearts and minds of creative souls. This avant-garde movement emerged as a response to the stifling conformity of the era, where traditional art forms had dominated for centuries. It was a rebellion against the strictures of academism and the confines of convention, driven by a desire to break free from the artistic shackles that had bound artists for generations.
Russian avant-garde art blossomed in the early 20th century amidst the turbulent backdrop of the Russian Revolution and a yearning for artistic and societal transformation. Visionaries like Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, and Natalia Goncharova played pivotal roles in this movement.
This radical artistic rebellion rejected traditional aesthetics and embraced abstraction, geometric shapes, and bold, vibrant colors. Malevich's "Black Square," a simple black square on a white canvas, became an iconic symbol of this avant-garde movement, signifying a break from the past and a blank canvas for the future.
Avant-garde artists sought to create a new visual language, breaking free from representational art and emphasizing the emotional and intellectual impact of their work. They believed in the idea of the "artist-engineer," merging art with science and technology.
Constructivism, another important facet of Russian avant-garde, emphasized the functional and industrial aspects of art, merging aesthetics with practicality. This approach had a profound impact on architecture, graphic design, and even fashion.
The Russian avant-garde was more than just art; it was a revolutionary cultural force that sought to reshape society. It found expression in theater, with radical stage designs and experimental performances, and it influenced political propaganda through innovative posters and graphics.
However, as the political climate in Russia shifted, many artists faced censorship, this art was forbidden, some artists were arrested and even executed. Despite these challenges, Russian avant-garde art left an indelible mark on the global art scene, inspiring generations of artists and continuing to influence contemporary art and design to this day.
Here is what George Costakis writes in his autobiography about the Russian avant-garde.
From 1908 to 1915, modernism dominated in Russian Empire. Avant-garde’s pioneers were artists like Mikhail Larionov, Natalia Goncharova, and David Burliuk. Avant-garde is not a movement, it is an aesthetic period. Within the Russian avant-garde there are many movements. After 1915 the avant-garde got into its most experimental period with non-objective art, led by Kazimir Malevich and the movement of Suprematism. The experimentations in art were on the rise until approximately the end of 1920s.
In the pre-revolutionary period, avant-garde artists held exhibitions and wrote their manifestos. However, the public often did not accept or understand them and ignored their efforts. After each exhibition, critical articles would appear against these artists; they were called hooligans, and the exhibition organizers were outraged: "Who allows this and who needs this?!"
During those years, avant-garde artists could not easily sell their works. Even renowned collectors like Shchukin and Morozov, who acquired large quantities of Matisse, Picasso, Bonnard and other artists from the Paris school, were not interested in avant-garde artists from Russia. Occasionally, they would take something figurative by Goncharova or Larionov. So, the lives of avant-garde artists were challenging; they received no recognition, and until 1917, their situation was dire. However, after 1917, they received considerable support from the new authorities. They saw something revolutionary in this movement, something beneficial for the people, and decided to use it for their purposes. Artists were proposed to decorate the Red Square, organize celebrations, adorn streets, work on theater set designs and costumes, etc. There were no restrictions; on the contrary. This continued for several years, until the very end of the 1920s.
Gradually, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum began to accept works from avant-garde artists. From the end of 1920s a decline began. The authorities started viewing the avant-garde with caution, considering that there was an undertone of anarchism among these artists. After all, each one was trying to make a statement!
In the mid-1920s, constructivism was established in Russian art. Artists became engaged in a race, dedicated to an utopian mission to change within a few years the whole aesthetic image and perception of the society. Liubov Popova and Varvara Stepanova started making designs for fabrics - Popova wrote that she was very pleased when she saw workers at some factory eagerly buying fabrics with her designs. The same with Rodchenko; In 1921 he stopped pursuing pure art, called himself a constructivist, worked for art in production and became engrossed in photography.
In 1932 socialist realism appeared as the only accepted aesthetics for the arts and very soon all artistic experimentations were forbidden.
The Russian avant-garde appeared 30-40 years ahead of its time and wasn't understood... It would be a lost chapter in the world art history if George Costakis had not realized its great importance and started collecting these works of art from the cellars and lofts where they were hidden.