Strakhov, Adolf Iosipovich (born Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine, 1896; died 1979),V.I. Ul'yanov (Lenin). 1870-1924, 1924, lithograph, Gift of Hart Massey, 1982, 82/288
Constructing Utopia: Books and Posters from Revolutionary Russia, 1910-1940
EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
The Russian Revolution of 1917 spawned an equally revolutionary transformation in book and poster design and production. Constructing Utopia brings together two special collections at the AGO: Russian avant-garde books and Soviet Russian propaganda posters. Together with the official Soviet literacy campaigns of the 1920s and 1930s, the avant-garde movement had lasting effects on the design and content of printed materials. This exhibition creates a dialogue between two exciting branches of graphic design: rare books speak to the formative artistic years of the avant-garde, and large-scale, dramatic posters demonstrate the impact of this revolutionary art movement on the everyday visual culture of Soviet Russia.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see innovative book design by Vladimir Mayakovsky and Alexander Rodchenko, as well as stunning, hand-coloured propaganda posters by Vladimir Lebedev and Kasimir Malevich.