Description
In the world of art and revolutionary poetry of the early twentieth century, few duos stood out as much as Vladimir Mayakovsky and Lissitzky formed. The painting "Cover of 'By Voice'" (1920) of El Lissitzky for the book of the same name of Mayakovsky is a clear and forceful sample of this fruitful collaboration. This work not only illustrates a book, but also encapsulates the essence of constructivism and Russian futurism, artistic movements that glimpsed a new aesthetic and social horizon.
The cover stands out above all for its economy of elements and the successful disposition of them. In complete contrast to traditional figurative art, Lissitzky opts for abstract construction, using geometric shapes and typography to create a composition that challenges the conventions of its time. The work presents a white background as the main canvas, which gives rugged but at the same time clean to the content that is planted on it. On this neat white, elements emerge in black and red colors: a black triangle on the left, a large red rectangle in the center and two lines that diagonally cross the canvas, in addition to other cuts and letters that complete the design.
The colors used are not arbitrary. Black and red were colors that symbolized dynamism, revolution and audacity. These chromatic elections are aligned with the theme of Mayakovsky's book, which was a work of political agitation and social transformation. Red acts as a visual attention call, a focus of energy that overlaps the white background and black shapes.
There are no figurative characters on this cover, which is consistent with the style of El Lissitzky and constructivism. Instead of resorting to the human figure, the artist uses forms and words to convey emotion and meaning. This allows the composition to have a universal and timeless character, freed from the specific connotations that could bring with them human figures.
It is moving in this abstract and geometric field that Lissitzky shows its mastery in the use of typography as a visual element. The letters are not there only to be read, but to be observed as an integral part of the work of art. It is a fascinating mixture of text and image, a precursor and at the same time a manifesto of what graphic design and modern advertising would become.
The Lissitzky was a multifaceted artist who was always at the forefront of contemporary techniques and styles. Being a graphic designer, artist, architect and photographer, his work transcended the conventional limits of art and design. "Cover of 'For the voice'" is a window to the Russian avant -garde period, a time when art and politics were intrinsically inseparable and where aesthetic innovation was seen as a vehicle for social change.
In short, this cover is a testimony of an era in which the barriers between art, poetry and life itself began to dissolve. It is a work that continues to resonate for its conceptual clarity, its courage in abstraction and its transformation message. As critics and art lovers, observing this work is to understand the spirit of a generation that sought, through shapes and colors, to open new paths for humanity.
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