Description
The painting "Insert red and erase on black" from El Lissitzky, made in 1920, is a paradigmatic work of Russian constructivism and an eloquent testimony of avant -garde ideas that permeated the art of the time. This work shows the fascination of the Lissitzky for the geometric elements and its search to transcend traditional forms of representation through a new and groundbreaking visual language.
The historical context in which Lissitzky creates this piece cannot be ignored. The years immediately after the October 1917 revolution in Russia were a hotbed of social and cultural transformations. The constructivist movement, of which the Lissitzky was a prominent figure, was framed within these changes. Constructivist artists saw art as a mechanism to contribute to the construction of a new society, and this was reflected in its utilitarian and functional approach to artistic production.
When contemplating "insert red and erase on black", one is immediately confronted with the radical simplicity of its shapes and its limited color palette. The composition is structured around the conceptual interaction between basic geometric figures: circles, rectangles and diagonal lines. Red and black predominate, colors that, in Kazimir Malévich's supreme theory, contemporary and influencer of Lissitzky, symbolize the fundamental and immaterial.
The black background acts as a deep abyss, which drastically contrasts with the geometric shapes suspended in the pictorial plane. A sinister and energetic red circle is dynamically inserted into the dark space, while a white and clear line seems to erase the imposing presence of black, opening a dialogue between creation and denial, between existence and absence. The very title of the piece "Insert red and erase on black" invites the viewer to reflect on the actions implicit in this visual drama.
Although the work lacks characters in the traditional sense, geometric shapes take an almost anthropomorphic quality, loaded with tension and purpose. This abstract character provides the work for a level of universality and timelessness; It does not represent a specific moment or place, but concepts and forces that transcend the particular.
In this work, the influence of architecture is also observed, another field in which Lissitzky had remarkable interest. The disposition and interaction of the geometric elements remind of architectural planes, establishing a connection between the two -dimensionality of the canvas and the constructive aspirations of the time.
The painting "insert red and erase on black" also evokes some visual synesthesia, a central attribute of constructivism and suprematism: it is experienced not only in terms of shapes and colors, but also of forces and directions, creating a sensation of movement and Static dynamism.
The rigor with which Lissitzky addresses its art of geometric precision to chromatic symbology reflects its training in engineering and architecture, as well as a mind oriented to systematization and innovation. It is relevant to consider other works by Lissitzky, such as his "Proun" series, abbreviation for "projects for the affirmation of the new", where the intersections between art, architecture and functionality are similarly explored. In "Insert red and erase on black", we can see a microcosm of these broader interests, encapsulating Lissitzky's vision of an art that is not an end in itself, but a medium for a new visual and social order.
Thus, "insert red and erase on black" is not only an abstract representation of shapes and colors; It is a declaration of principles, a visual manifesto of an era where art sought to define and reflect the new paradigms of a humanity in transformation. The legacy of the Lissitzky, encapsulated in this painting, endures as a testimony of the possibility of reinventing the world through visual language.
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