Module 4 : Task 2.
Redd Caruana & Sharon Abela | Essay & infographic
Chosen Movement : Constructivism | El Lissitzky | Deck of cards
The Constructivist era, the movement in which art changed into an accomplished straight line with that of disciplined geometry & composition. Graphic Design at that time was something innovative because of it’s pure forms, the grid, composition, art, manipulation, it was something huge, and today living the 21st Century is something common but it influenced many designers. The use of 3 primary colours, shapes, form, architecture, good composition as these summed up all of the Constructivist elements. Architecture was part of it, it emerged from the Russian futurism and that of Futurism. Architecture is a symbol of disciplined forms & shapes and that of lines that sums up the ideology about Constructivism.
El lissitzky’s work shows unity towards the subject as he uses 3 primary colours to keep the composition minimal, the usage of - Red, White & Black. Also he merged architecture with that of Graphic Design, the Graphical Visual Communication is shown onto mostly manifestos, book covers, posters that have the relationship between ‘Less is more’ . Earlier before I mentioned the influence on how Constructivism changed the whole idea about keeping everything in order, the Grid is an important element & that of pure forms, the whole idea behind geometry. Magazines and books today are found mostly empty from the inside with lots of photographs (an infographic) supported by the ‘Less is more’ -Bauhaus movement invented this quote. Less is more & the link with an infographic can some up the Constructivist era at that time with today’s designs found on Posters, Books, Magazines, Packaging.
Deck of Cards designed in a Graphical manner using the inspiration that El Lissitzky used to combine elements together to create something out of abstraction. Below is an example of how Lissitzky’s work would formulate and how he works, his minimalist approach would have been used to keep negative & positive space, connecting the shapes together to formulate abstract meanings & Architecture that it is being used to link everything together. Typography here is being used, to indicate the role of play and still being used as the original deck of cards.
Flying to earth from a distance by El Lissitzky is a proof of how minimalism, pure forms, geometric & architecture unite all of the constructivist movement. Thin black stroked lines are being transmitted as pure architectural modern buildings standing onto a red circular earth, that purifies the composition linked with 2 cubes in the corner, symbolising vehicles. Typography is seen below as a sub-title or title describing on what’s happening and of course keeping everything aligned but breaking the law of verticals.
Less is more.
2 Squares : Children’s Book is a Graphic Design element together with an Architecture touch. Colours are in their prime as they are used in most of the pages found inside this book. Symbolism is translated into forms, lines, typefaces & lettering, these all sum up the fidelity of Constructivism.
Form Follows Function.
References :
http://theministryoffear.tumblr.com/post/12288011826/el-lissitzky-about-2-squares-childrens-book - 2 Squares : Children's Book
http://uploads1.wikiart.org/images/el-lissitzky/flying-to-earth-from-a-distance-1920.jpg - Flying to earth from a distance
http://uwfadvancedgraphics1.blogspot.com.mt/2012/10/deck-of-cards-based-on-artist.html - Deck of cards
http://theministryoffear.tumblr.com/post/12288011826/el-lissitzky-about-2-squares-childrens-book - 2 Squares : Children's Book
http://uploads1.wikiart.org/images/el-lissitzky/flying-to-earth-from-a-distance-1920.jpg - Flying to earth from a distance
http://uwfadvancedgraphics1.blogspot.com.mt/2012/10/deck-of-cards-based-on-artist.html - Deck of cards