Nawat Gavo and ANroine Pevswer: ‘The Realistic Manifesto (1920) White i would be imponsibe to expan in ximple terms, the astonish lng development of Ruslan art Inthe early twentiath century, Hie lear a the sae tine that any dcuaion ofthe sublet tends 10 co verge upon one basic prohlee: To wher extent should the Rslan conrbuton tothe modem movenen be viewed as the outcome of atv tein an to whet extent ata rat from an alien cular? In the coe ofthe talon futur, the te is perhaps more clear The veoton agcint the erated development of Wan otf and Yorecioutingetion ofthe French avan-gude radon cou go hand In hand tn culture where 1o much wat helix common with it iightorr. Russian modern war eros ony superfialy touched bythe talian fury. The decode of te 1910s may have Begun ih ‘manfeioet of ftarit step, bat by yea he work of Panter ‘ch as Malevoh and a poet sch a Kiebekor led ww profound leave between Russa and he Wer. The rise of consrvesivinm ix Rosia represents ot the some tne ‘he fal recognition of tis levage ana hit that 1 war #0 become es abvolte. "The Reali Manito” of Oabo and Pevener i a sense reraspecive, potting ovt with anering aceuracy the tinlto- ions of exis and fturiy But eo sinier thatthe roles of teacher and ppl are about to he evened. The Rasion artist longer imply Has nothing to Team from the West he nor hat somedhing to ive. Impl shir new outlet the altuaion eresed by the Revol ‘Bet pubiied on August $7830, by te Seond Suce Pileg Hone ‘op ian by Swim Gale tpblie abe Cae Pelee ae Bed hey 85 po 34) the teaDiTtoN oF consTuUCTIVISIE tion of 1917. Gabo refer to us who have areaiy acomplied the Revolution or who are areody comznucing and buliing pane.” The ambit between socal and poe! revolution ix probably im Terioal nd the pare! i Brough out ven more clearly in Tat’ ‘fort atement on "The Wark Ahead of Us" whih confirms that he onfunetn o} revolution tn ort and tn he state lions the Russon Grito envge the task of "ereaing new wor” ‘For Gobo ond atl the change ithe aris vole i nial sem in quanta werms Inseod of continuing 10 work ix conventional wneia and an move proporins, he able 10 conjont the heady Jropcct of ecaing symbolic embodiments of the ne society On & TTonament see. But nthe period covered by the pssges that Toll, the artes role wat aso 10 be wanjormed qualitatively. Re- fecrng Gabes ew ofthe independent sce fncion of at, rss fed theo drew the Implications of Tels concern with “he ons encountered in our new sverydey ie.” When the term "con irc” fist came nt common wae a thee of 1921, 1 contd Iarly be ald to denote the ork of a nomber of aris Bound t= herby common site properties. 1 embed the determination hime ein and ihe theorist to purave the implletions of « maroge etween et and svial revlon, even if this Investigation meen! @ reson. or ined reversal of exiting conceptions. Nass Gabo ner born in Brinch, Rul, 1890, He made hi fs consractont in Norway fn 1915. He worked in Rossa jrom 1917 {0'1922 whe be left Moscow for Berke. From around 1936 to 1946 heed in Bland, moving finaly 1 the Urted States, where he th tex, Hts older brother, Antoine Pevsner, was borm in Orel, Resi, [n'T866; he worked wth Gabo ix Norway from 1916, and returned to Moscow vith him, fut exalished Nmself Pals fom 1923 on A thot brother, Aesel Pov, hae decribed the genesis of hls maf, whch was written solely by Gabo, althoush Antoine op ended is 'anative. The occasion of publication was an open? Ccibtion onthe Tverkoy Bouleverd in Moscow at whi both others were represented in itn fo several youre arts rom the Phen (Higher Teckoiea! Artie Sadi, ‘Gabo ar araingly reeled thatthe commis ofthe sate print Ing end pubcation department, who var Troy's sister gave pers Inision for the ofl pubiestion of the menieto without reading Constr in Rusa: 1920-23 fs Nam Gato Com linicted Hoa, 1916 (ovis and Walter Aransere Colection ‘The Priadeps Mo: fom of AR). Cabo tha work in aries fora see ‘and would fot sale Although aloes with cubism Sn this ploce and in sme" petiod, Gabo Crete aarti im. ‘ge through the use of {the stereometie system fn to eombine mon ‘etal with economy inibe of materials, (Photo Dr. Fred Blt) 1 She was under the ipreton that fevord “ea” inthe te tional tense and therefore weleomed anaesthetic pasion £9 which, ‘on closer acquaintone, she found heme Ce be toaly opposed -Alvve the terpests of our weeks ‘Actots the ther and indeed homes of he pas, Before the gate ofthe vacant fur, ‘We preteim today to you art, poltrs sulptors, muscens, sors, poste. o you peple to wham ATC m0 mare ground for ‘conversation but the source of real exaton, our word and eed “The impasse into which Art has some toi the Tas twenty yeuIs be Broker "The growth of human krowiedge wih its powerful penetration into the mysterious tans of the wold which started atthe dav ofthis“Thin manifeao mes Wien fo accompany an open-tr SOW On the ‘reshoy Boulevers Moscow, st which both brothers were exhibiting Te thousand soles Were feed and ported Shout the cy. MTEC OE. Construction in Rusti: 1930-23 17 ‘The biowoming of «new culture snd 8 new chilaton with thie Ueprecedentd-inisory mg of the masts toner the poseaian of the riches of Nature, nurge which finds te people into oe unio, afd Tas not least, che war ad the revolton hee ping torrent of the coming epoch), have made ts face the fact of ew forms of if, sresdy born sp ste, What does Art catry into this unflding epoch of human history? Does ic posses the meses necesary forthe cancion of the no Great Sih? ‘Or does it suppose that the new epoch may not have # new eet Or does it suppose thatthe naw le can sesept a new eeaon whichis constructed om the foundations of the od? Tn spite of tho demnd of the renscent apn of or ie, Ati stl! nourished by impression, exer ppearance, and wander help: Tey back and fort from Natural to Soin, fom Roman ‘im 0 Myst, “The attempts af the Cubs andthe Futurity tf the vu ate {rom the bogs of the past have led ey to new dlsions ‘Cbs, having sated with sinpieatin ofthe representative eb nique, ened with it ants and stock there, “The dvactol word ofthe Cubit roe in shreds by the lo tal anarhy, cannet sas us who have lend socomplished the Revolution or who ar arsdy contciting and billing sp anew ‘One coud esd with terest the expres of the Cait, bt oe cannot flow ther, being eonvined that thir experiments e ng made on the surface of Art and do not teh on the se of see Plant thatthe end resle amounts to fhe same oid graghie, 0 te fame od vole, an to the same deorsive sacs to ‘One could havo hate Ferien in is tine fr the retresng svexp of ke announced Revolaton in At for ts devastating exis of te st sin no other way eould one have sated tho atte bare des of “Jood tase” poder wes ended for that sod lt of it, hot one cannot eonstut a system of art on one revoluonay plea alone ‘One Id o examine Futura bees is appearance t cele that fone faced avery oedinury chatter, avery age sb provriaing lad in betters of wormout words Hike "patriotism," “ela contempt forthe female," and al the rat of seh provi te.8 / tue Taaniriow oF constaveTivisM the domain of purely pictorial problems, Faure has not gone forte thn the eenovatedeflost to fx on the canvas a purely opi fete whic os alten showa its bankropcy with the Impreionis Win obvious now to everyone of that by the simple raph epi tration of row of momentary arested movements, one 80 Te ‘Seat movemet il. makes oe think of the ple of a dead body. “The pompous slogan of “Speed” was played from the hands ofthe ots wa pest tramp. We concede the sony of that logs tnd we gute see How Kean sweep the strongest of the provincia tee fot But ask any ulus how dor be imagine “speed and there wil emerge a whole arena of feed automobiles, cating ‘ally depts sated wie, the clink and the noise and the clang ik coousling sss. doe one aly need to convince therm tht Sib that looney fr speed and for is shyt? Tok ath say of sun the stilt ofthe stil forces i speeds ‘more than 30 ilometres in & second. behold onr sary manent “ni hear it and yet what ae our depts to those depots of ‘be Unive? What ae oor eee alns 1 Has hurrying tens of ‘he glass? Thced, he whole Fotis aise sbovt sped Iso cbviows an sec an and tor tbe moment that Futian pocaimed tht "Space and ‘Time ate yxerdy's dead” He sonk into the obscurity of absractons. ‘Nether Furs nor Cubism fas brought ws what our time bas expected of them evdes the to acini schools our reset past has had nothing of imporiaace or deserving mention ‘Bt Lie dots not wot andthe growth of pnerations does 20 top and we who go fo relee thous who have passed into history, having imu hands the resus of thir experinets, with thet mistakes and thet chlvemanty alter yeas of experience equal (0 cntris we sy "No new attic optem wil withtand the pressure of a growing new cattre vn the very foundation of Art wil be ered en the rea lays of Lit ‘Dn ll rss wi say with ws [Alisa feton + only Hf and it Laws are authentic and in ile only the selves benifit and wie aod strong and right fr ie Contract in Rusa: 1020-38 / 9 oes not Brow beauty at an sestbte mesure. efcacios existence 5s the highest testy. [Life knows neither good nor had nor jouice as & measure of moras. need is the highest and mot just ofall morals Tie doer noe Know ratonallyabsracted truths as a measure of comizancs, deed Is the highest and surest of ruth "Thove ae the le of ie, Cn art withand thee aw i 6 uit on absteston, on mirage, Bd ftion? We sy. ‘Spice tnd ine are cotorn 10 us todey Space and tine are the cay forms oo which ite uit and Benes rt must be constructed ‘Stes, ole and economic syste per Meas crumble, under the strain of ages «but leis trong and owe and time goer 00 in treat cont ‘Who will show fore more efcsovs than this. whe i the seit ane who wll gve us founestions monger than Wis ‘Who i the geive who wil to «legend more raving. han this prose tale whieh i ale le? ‘The relation of our perepion ofthe word in the forme of space fond tre isthe only sim of eur pctoril and pote art ‘In them we do not mesure our works with the yardck of Beaty, wwe donot weigh them with povnls of tenderness and sentiment “The plumbsline in our hand ses at prec rar in asp Sirus sown ar the engineer conrrcte Ks brdges, atthe mathe- ation hi formu of the orbit We know thar everthing haste own esental moe; char, table lamp, telephone, book, house, man they are all etre words with tain own rhythms, ther own ors. “Thar why we tn erating things ake aay from them the Table oftheir cwnert al accidental ond loa. lasing ony the realty (ofthe wonttant roth ofthe forces tether 1 Thence in plting we renounce colour petra element, colour 1s the idealized optzelsurice of obec: an exterior and sperfil Impresin of them; colour (racldetl andi har noting tm com ‘mon withthe inert since of thingto J tie rRADITIoN oF consTRUCTIVIEM Wei he! etne ofa substance, et ligh-abrorbing material ody tr only petra reat. 2 We renounes ine ine, ie decripive vale: rel ie there are no “eerie lin, description iran eceldenal as ofa man om thing, {tortor bound up withthe etetal Hf and constant structure ofthe body, Deserpivenss am element of grape Mastraton and decra- tion We efi te lne only ar direction ofthe sale forces and their rit ot. Pie renounce volime ax @plctoril and plastic frm of space; one Comet mec space in volumes ar one connor meaturt Haun Sa Took et aur space what i 1 If nt one conor depth? We air depth athe only petrol ond plate form of space. 4. We renounce i sculpt, the mass esa elparal element. Iie own to every einer thatthe sate forces of soli boy and ts waar strength donot depend onthe quanity ofthe mass tnample tral a T-bcar, ee ‘ur you tufts ofall shader ond elections, you stil adhere 10 the epee peadce tht you cat free the volume of mast. Here fin ti ekbiton) we tae four planer end we consract with thom the sre volume eof four tons of mass. "ha we Bring back 10 sedpare the lie as @ ection and in we fem depth ax the one frm of space. [We reounce the thousand yearold delsion ix art that Held the ate rons os the only elements ofthe plas and plo art “We afm in feze art @ new element the Ainele hms athe asl form of eur perception of rel tne “These ae te ve fndomenta pills of our work and our con strane tenga. "Toy we pola our words to you peopl. Fe the squares anon tho ateue ne ate placing 06 work convinced that at St ot == tain assur Fr the Kl, a comotation for the wen, and a jose ‘eatin forte lay, Are shoul ated ws everywhere tha fe flows tnd ac atthe Bene, a the able two, at estat pay om working ays and olds. at home and oe the cond... In order ‘hat the Mame to ve should not extinguish in mankind. ‘Wer do no lok for jusiestion, nater in the ast aor in the Consretsiom iy Russi: 1930-23 a8 [Nobody can tell ws what the future is and what uns doos one cat mith "Not oie shout the future is imposible an one ean Be about tx wi ‘We asic hat the shouts about the future are for us the sre a the tears abou the pat renovated yum ofthe romani, 'A monkishdeiiam ofthe beavenly Kingdom ofthe ol aired in contemporary clothe. “He who Is busy today with tho movtow is busy doing notlag And he who fomerow will ng ws nothing of what he bas doae today if no uke forthe ftir Today is the ded We wil secount fori tomorow, ‘The pas we are leaving behinds urion. ‘The fre we leave to the foes We tke the present day. Viabinan TATLIN, T. SHAPIRO, I. MEYERZON, and Paver. ViNoGRApov: ‘The Work Ahead of Us (1920) lair Bvpafovich Tatlin was horn ie 185, eier tn Kharkov or In Moscow. He exhibited paintings wih ¢ mber of Rasian atic sroups nthe yors 1911-13 and war cote amocated withthe paler Mithal Larionov. But fis eter vere transformed isthe course ofa vin to Pare ty 1913, whan he wa ale to see the cab vals Died Moscow Desens? i, 79, TH vantion by Trees Andes fi my fn poblaed in Padi Ta (enbtioncetnop: Sk it: Moder Muse iy-Sepenior 1968) end epied ae WiThe Tradition of Constructivism Edited and with an Introduction by Stephen BannCopia: @ 1974 by Stephen Basn SAI hs revered Pint posted ia 197 as besSound sod paperbound won ty “Ta Ving Pes To 625 Macon Aveo, New Yoet, NY. 1002 libata In Caeada by Toe Mecrilan Canpany of Canada Lined Soy €70-7230-0 (ardbou!) 70-0956 (papetoned) inary of Cog soc nab: 72-15748 Prt in USA. fina Ae We nN ona Co BS Acknowledgments 1 would the 1 recor! my indent Philip Steadman and Mist Went fon clos of Formal fo Joos Bae, Antony Hi, at Per Wen, who nave ele much afl adie anf pais {oiehm Boni whe expe Anovisge of th Resin text ta, een ‘Beattie Or ine rion leary tae T tae teen ae (0 com the {Bese steel Maus in Arter Sands well 0 the fre, 00 The mame of thee wo have ont anatns fo hi cetion sutmeniond shew may, Bowser, be secon Yo meno that fhe eo fvegn Igoe ht lead ae fe Blah wero BEE ike most pt bean rprdeced. aout sbvlanal eangs Tn ee Sea ae arson at ho the sts of ioe doce 8 iti Ge time nd eseumsances ef I pllenion te ts ose, TER Sattidane nove eee made to ste gates ly to he oa Sree taoe import fo eons tthe rary am of tse fe Inde fee fo vemala iia fo the neve hese of the a ee nin spams The consis worked on aging a ‘Redon langage tr wings fem iepa enate of tir pox (ina caty ad elegance of expesion ner Were ner cod Have en lest ny in cum Saphen Baan Cantera, November 1971