Constructivism saw its birth in Russia in the early 20th Century Originally it was a movement based on art and architecture, although in later years we can see the introduction of graphic design. One of the founders of the movement was Vladimir Tatlin, an architect and painter, who's Monument to the Third International is said to be the design which sparked the birth of constructivism.
 |
| Tatlin's Monument to the Third International |
The idea behind the constructivist movement was the rejection of art for art's sake. Designers and artists of the movement believed that art was not centred on aesthetics; on the contrary all art and design was and should be used as a political tool. Russia in the early 20th century was in desperate need for a change after the revolution of 1917, therefore designers and artists worked to develop a new style of architecture, graphic design and mass production techniques.
Important sources of inspiration of the Constructivists were the art movement Cubism as well as Futurism. Rather than taking a traditional approach to art, designers developed a new style which allowed them to combine a number of shapes along with text, which most of the time were used as political propaganda. Characteristics of the Constructivist movement include an emphasis on geometric shapes and clean lines, combined with bold, symbolic colourings, and having a social, economic or political underlying message.
By the early 1930s, the movement came to an end following the death of Lenin and the rise to power of Joseph Stalin.
Notable designers of the Constructivist movement include El Lissitzky, Alexander Rodchenko, and Gustav Klutsis.
 |
| Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge - El Lissitzky (1919) |
 |
| Books - Alexander Rodchenko (1924) |
 |
| Rusakov Workers Club - Konstantin Melnikov |
 |
| Contemporary example of the influence of Constructivism: CMA CGM Headquarters in France - Zaha Hadid |
References
Constructivism, T. (2013). The easy guide to design movements: Constructivism | Graphic design | Creative Bloq. [online] Creativebloq.com. Available at: http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/easy-guide-design-movements-constructivism-10134843 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2014].
MoMA.org, (2015). MoMA | The Collection | Constructivism. [online] Available at: http://www.moma.org/collection/details.php?theme_id=10955 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2014].
Slideshare.net, (2015). Constructivism. [online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/ridarohail/constructivism-17796156 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2014].
Zaha-hadid.com, (2015). CMA CGM Headquarters - Architecture - Zaha Hadid Architects. [online] Available at: http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/cma-cgm-headquarters/ [Accessed 13 Dec. 2014].
