Soviet Salvage: Imperial Debris, Revolutionary Reuse, and Russian Constructivism

250 Pages·2017·18.142 MB·English

by  Catherine Walworth

Catherine Walworth
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SOVIET
SALVAGE

Catherine Walworth The Pennsylvania
State University Press
University Park,
Pennsylvania
Imperial Debris, Revolutionary Reuse,
and Russian Constructivism
SOVIET
SALVAGE
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Walworth, Catherine, author.
Title: Soviet salvage : imperial debris, revolutionary reuse, and
Russian constructivism / Catherine Walworth.
Other titles: Refiguring modernism.
Description: University Park, Pennsylvania : The Pennsylvania
State University Press, [2017] | Series: RM : refiguring modern-
ism | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary: “Examines how Russian Constructivist artists in
the 1920s imagined a new physical environment through the
creation of recycled and reappropriated objects”—
Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016054606 | ISBN 9780271077697
(cloth : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Constructivism (Art)—Russia (Federation) |
Art, Russian—20th century.
Classification: LCC N6988.5.C64 W35 2017 | DDC
709.47/09042—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016054606
Copyright © 2017 Catherine Walworth
All rights reserved
Printed in China
Published by The Pennsylvania State University Press,
University Park, PA 16802-1003
The Pennsylvania State University Press is a member of the
Association of American University Presses.
It is the policy of The Pennsylvania State University Press to
use acid-free paper. Publications on uncoated stock satisfy
the minimum requirements of American National Standard
for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Material, ansi z39.48–1992.
Additional credits: frontispiece, image © A. Rodchenko &
V. Stepanova Archive, Moscow; vi (fig. 13, detail), courtesy
Galerie Gmurzynska; xiv and 160 (figs. 88 and 90, details),
Lloyd Cotsen Textile Traces Collection, T-2102.242, T-2102.244
(Bruce M. White, © Lloyd Cotsen, 2015); 48 and 82 (figs. 28
and 59, details), The Wolfsonian–Florida International Univer-
sity, Miami Beach, Florida, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection,
XX1990.1337 (Lynton Gardiner), XB1990.2178.26 (David
Almeida); 128 (fig. 83, detail), image © A. Rodchenko & V.
Stepanova Archive, Moscow, art © Estate of Alexander
Rodchenko / RAO, Moscow / VAGA, New York.
List of Illustrations vii
Acknowledgments xi
Note to the Reader xiii
Introduction 1
S No. 1
The Economic Shaping of
Constructivism 17
T
N
No. 2
A Blank Slate: The First Years of
E
Soviet Propaganda Porcelain 49
T
N No. 3 Nadezhda Lamanova: On the Elegant
Fringes of Constructivist Dress 83
O
C
No. 4
Esfir Shub: “Magician of the
Editing Table” 129
No. 5
The Five-Year Plan Prompts
a Fire Sale 161
Conclusion 185
Notes 189
Bibliography 212
Index 223

Frontispiece: Varvara Stepanova sits next to 19 Covered Pot, 1914, firm of Peter Karl S
examples of Sergei Chekhonin’s propaganda Fabergé 57 N
plates for the State Porcelain Factory ii
20 Imperial blank with the monogram of Nicholas
O
1 Vladimir Tatlin’s installation at 0.10: The Last II dated “1895” and Aleksei Karev’s new post-
I
Futurist Exhibition, December 1915 20 October mark 58
T
2 A mass festival depicting the Storming of the 21 A sailor washes an aphorism-decorated dish A
Winter Palace, 1920 21 in Battleship Potemkin, 1925 61
R
3 Vladimir Tatlin with his model for Monument 22 Imperial blank with its original mark blotted
T
to the Third International, 1920 24 out with a green enamel oval 64
S
4 Aleksandr Rodchenko, Varvara Stepanova at 23 Plates designed by Aleksandra
U
Her Design Table, 1925 25 Shchekotikhina-Pototskaia 66–67
L
5 Aleksandr Rodchenko, “PromBank,” design for 24 Plate designed by Natan Altman 68
L
an advertising poster, 1923 26
25 Plate designed by Sergei Chekhonin 70
I
6 Scene from The Death of Tarelkin, with
26 Plate from the Banqueting Service of the
designs by Varvara Stepanova 27
Imperial Order of St. Aleksandr Nevskii, ca.
7 Aleksandr Rodchenko and Varvara 1780 71
Stepanova’s studio, 1920 28
27 Dessert plate from the Order of St. George
8 Aleksandr Rodchenko, Hanging Spatial Service, 1778 71
Construction, no. 10, 1920–1921 29
28 Plate designed by Mikhail Adamovich 72
9 Aleksandr Rodchenko standing with
29 Goods of the Petrograd Porcelain Factory,
dismantled Hanging Spatial Constructions, ca.
with a coffee service by Nikolai Lapshin 78
1923–1924 30
30 New designs of the State Porcelain
10 Installation view of OBMOKhU Exhibition, May
Factory 79
1921 33
31 Martian setting with Constructivist-inspired
11 Konstantin Medunetskii, Spatial Construction
viewing device from Aelita: Queen of
(Construction no. 557), 1919 35
Mars 84
12 Vladimir Tatlin’s designs for mass clothing and
32 Bored soldier Gusev in a requisitioned
a stove model, 1923–1924 38
mansion in Aelita: Queen of Mars 85
13 Liubov Popova, “Leto 1924” 41
33 Natasha attends an “illegal ball for select
14 Aleksandr Rodchenko, Varvara Stepanova in a society” in Aelita: Queen of Mars 86
Dress of Her Own Fabric Design, 1924 42
34 Natasha momentarily lost in aristocratic-style
15 Two female love interests both wear dresses elegance and frivolity in Aelita: Queen of Mars
made from Stepanova’s patterned textiles 87
in The Cigarette Girl from Mosselprom,
35 Advertisement for Aelita: Queen of Mars 88
1924 43
36 Evening dress of Empress Aleksandra
16 Aleksandr Rodchenko, “Workers’ Club” at the
Fedorovna 91
Exposition internationale des Arts décoratifs
37 Valentin Serov, Nadezhda Lamanova,
et modernes, Paris, 1925 45
1911 92
17 Petrograd State (formerly Imperial) Porcelain
38 Evening dress, 1912–1914 94
Factory display of postrevolutionary
wares 50 39 Evening dress, 1910s 94
18 Soup plate from Her Majesty’s Own Service,
ca. 1759 54
40 Scene from Aelita: Queen of Mars with 67 Esfir Shub, Alexandr Rodchenko, Aleksei Gan,
Emperor Tuskub 95 and Varvara Stepanova, 1924 133
41 Costumes from the Lamanova workshop 99 68 Aleksandr Rodchenko, Aleksei Gan, Evgenia
Zhemchuzhnaia, Olga Rodchenko, Esfir Shub,
42 Dress, 1920s 100
and Varvara Stepanova, 1926 133
43 Clothing models by Lamanova, created in the
69 Aleksandr Rodchenko, Constructivist Aleksei
Artistic Scientific Laboratory of the Clothing
Gan Designing Magazine Cover, 1924 136
Workshop 102
70 The first page of an early working version
44 Lamanova’s clothing models 105
of Shub’s outline for re-editing Dr. Mabuse,
45 Ladies’ and children’s fashions 106
1924 142
46 The Clothing Workshop’s display in the First
71 Early outline of Esfir Shub’s film chronicle
All-Russian Artistic-Industrial Exhibition in
February 146
Moscow in 1923 109
72 Page from Esfir Shub and M. Z. Tseitlin’s
47 A glimpse into the interior of Atelier
intertitle variations for The Fall of the
Mod 110
Romanov Dynasty 147
48 Party dress in two sections 112
73 Page from the second working version of The
49 Dresses by Lamanova in the Paris
Fall of the Romanov Dynasty outline 148
International Exposition, 1925 113
74 “On a sea cruise,” from The Fall of the
50 New dress models by Lamanova’s
Romanov Dynasty 150
workshop 114
75 The young Aleksei is carried along the
51 V. Akhmetiev, portfolio cover, Art in Everyday
parade path, from The Fall of the Romanov
Life, 1925 116
Dynasty 150
52 I. Lobov (VKhUTEMAS), “Cupboard Display
76 “Their ‘honors’ were pleased to dance the
Case” 118
mazurka with their highnesses,” from The Fall
53 V. Akhmetiev, “Furniture for a Traveling of the Romanov Dynasty 151
Theater” 118
77 “Until they perspired,” from The Fall of the
54 A. Letkar, “Emblems for Romanov Dynasty 151
Demonstrations” 119
78 Worker wiping sweat from his brow, from The
55 N. Bartram, “Factory [Made from Fall of the Romanov Dynasty 151
Cardboard]” 119
79 “Obedient to the Tsar, the State Duma was in
56 “Caftan from Two Towels from the Vladimir session in St. Petersburg,” from The Fall of the
Region” 120 Romanov Dynasty 153
57 “Housedress from a Headscarf” 120 80 “Obedient to the Tsar, the State Duma was in
session in St. Petersburg,” from The Fall of the
58 “Outfit for Street and Work” 121
Romanov Dynasty 153
59 “Summer Dress” 122
81 “Representatives of the People,” from The Fall
60 “Sports Uniform” 123
of the Romanov Dynasty 153
61 “School Dress” 124
82 “Representatives of the People,” from The Fall
62 “Simplicity in Clothing” 124 of the Romanov Dynasty 153
63 “Overcoat of Soldier’s Cloth” 125 83 Aleksandr Rodchenko, Filmmaker Esfir Shub,
s
n 64 “[Woman’s] Theater Costume” 126 1924 154
o
strati 65 “[Men’s] Theater Costume” 126 84 Teapot designed by Liudmila
Illu viii 66 Aleksandr Rodchenko, Esfir Shub, 1924 130 Protopopova 165
85 Plate designed by Anton Lavinskii 166
86 Textile designs devoted to industrialized
agriculture 167
87 Detail of textile fragments with locomotive
design and thresher design 168
88 Detail of textile designs with zeppelins and
airplanes 169
89 Detail of textile designs with electrical towers
and light bulbs, 1930 170
90 Detail of textile designs with hydroelectric
dams and factories and cogs 171
91 Stills from Esfir Shub’s KShE, 1932 172
92 Detail of the Winter Palace’s linen, ceramic,
and fur storerooms and sale of the former
Tsar’s treasures 175
93 Martin Carlin, jewel cabinet, ca. 1774 179
94 Tretiakov Gallery, Art of the Capitalist Era,
1931 180
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