Constructivism in Central Europe : : painting, typography, photomontage / / by Esther Levinger.

• Superior document: Early Modern History and Modern History E-Books Online, Collection 2022
• VerfasserIn: Levinger, Esther,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, The Netherlands ;, Boston : : Brill,, [2022]; ©2022
• Year of Publication: 2022
• Language: English
• Series: Early Modern History and Modern History E-Books Online, Collection 2022.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (382 pages)
• Notes: The book tells the story of individual artists in Central Europe who believed in art's power to change the world; they imagined a collective of human beings living happily in a free society liberated of injustice and inequality.

The book is a comparative study of the constructivist avant-garde artists in Central Europe, the Hungarian MA group in exile in Vienna, the Blok group in Warsaw, and the Czech Devětsil association of artists in Prague. The author examines the similarities and significant differences among them. Contrary to often-repeated theses, the study reveals that the artists unremittingly sought new formulations for an initial set of formal and theoretical issues. It also demonstrates that they persistently believed that their works of art prefigured a future socialist society. The long-awaited socialist states that came into being after World War II betrayed the artists.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Esther Levinger -- Copyright page / Esther Levinger -- Illustrations / Esther Levinger -- Abbreviations / Esther Levinger -- Introduction / Esther Levinger -- Chapter 1 Theory and Practice of Constructivism in Central Europe / Esther Levinger -- Chapter 2 Constructivist Visions of Totality and Happiness / Esther Levinger -- Chapter 3 Unism: Subject and Object / Space and Time / Esther Levinger -- Chapter 4 Poetism: A Marriage of Opposites / Esther Levinger -- Conclusion: Images of a Future International / Esther Levinger -- Appendix 1: Lajos Kassák, “On the New Art” / Esther Levinger -- Appendix 2: Lajos Kassák, “On Constructivism” / Esther Levinger -- Appendix 3: Władysław Strzemiński, “Aspects of Reality” / Esther Levinger -- Appendix 4: Karl Teige, “Poem, World, Man” / Esther Levinger -- Bibliography / Esther Levinger -- Index / Esther Levinger.