Russian Civil War
The war was between the newly elected Bolshevik party (the Bolshevik Red Army) and the anti-Bolshevik forces (the White Army) in 1917. Many foreign nations joined the White Army who were: the Czechoslovak Legion, the Empire of Japan, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, the United States, the Republic of China and the British Empire (which consisted of Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom).
The foreign allies to the White Army joined because of Russia’s withdrawal from the Triple Entente (an alliance between the UK, France and Russia to counter the Triple Alliance of Austria-Hungary and Germany), who feared a possible Russia and German alliance. Another reason was the prospect of the Bolsheviks taking no responsibility for Russia’s huge foreign loans.
In 1923 the Red Army completely resisted the attacks from the White Army and regained control of the Russian Empire, which, however, came at great costs. An estimated 15,000,000 people were killed during the Civil War, and the Russian Soviet republics suffered droughts and famine, with disease taking 3,000,000 lives in 1920, and widespread starvation also taking millions of lives. There were also several million people emigrating, who opposed to the Russian political climate.
The Russian economy was also ravaged by the war, industrial production value was reduced to 1/7th and agriculture 1/3rd compared to 1913. The exchange rate with the U.S dollar declined from two rubles (the Russian currency) in 1914 to 1,200 in 1920.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
the russian revolution 1917
As my project focuses on the work of Alexander Rodchenko, it is important that I research events that happened during and prior the artist movement.
Russian Revolution
In 1917 the Russian country was ready for a revolution, growing numbers of middle-class employees and evolving social groups led people to uncertainty and the need for a re-form. Many citizens felt that the Tsar, Nicholas II, was out of touch with the demands and potential of the Russian public. An economical crisis during World War 1 led to widespread inflation and food shortages, coupled with the loss of military and the loss of the war led to the Russian people being convinced that Nicholas II was unfit to rule, which started the Russian Revolution.
Conscription for World War 1 took the skilled workers from the Russian cities who were replaced by unskilled peasants, this led to famine in Russia with poor supplies and a suffered railway system forcing many people to leave the cities to look for food and supplies. The soldiers were also affected and began to turn on the Tsar due to a lack of supplies and equipment.
Strikes followed in Petrograd, the capital of Russia, where virtually every factory was closed. Public meetings were held in Russian parliament, the Duma, where the citizens demanded ‘a responsible cabinet of ministers’. The Duma then encouraged the Tsar to stand-down to prevent a revolution.
The Tsar refused and sent a telegram informing the military to stop the strikes. Most of the soldiers followed the order, but a few mutinies joined the protesters. The police also sided with the strikers, rendering civil authority useless.
Nicholas II abdicated on the 13th March 1917, after Russia’s defeat in World War 1, hoping to bring unity to Russia. This is known as the February revolution.
There was also an October revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik part who had communist ideology. Lenin wanted to overthrow the Provisional Government, which he successfully did. The October revolution ended the revolution that was started in February.
Russian Revolution
In 1917 the Russian country was ready for a revolution, growing numbers of middle-class employees and evolving social groups led people to uncertainty and the need for a re-form. Many citizens felt that the Tsar, Nicholas II, was out of touch with the demands and potential of the Russian public. An economical crisis during World War 1 led to widespread inflation and food shortages, coupled with the loss of military and the loss of the war led to the Russian people being convinced that Nicholas II was unfit to rule, which started the Russian Revolution.
Conscription for World War 1 took the skilled workers from the Russian cities who were replaced by unskilled peasants, this led to famine in Russia with poor supplies and a suffered railway system forcing many people to leave the cities to look for food and supplies. The soldiers were also affected and began to turn on the Tsar due to a lack of supplies and equipment.
Strikes followed in Petrograd, the capital of Russia, where virtually every factory was closed. Public meetings were held in Russian parliament, the Duma, where the citizens demanded ‘a responsible cabinet of ministers’. The Duma then encouraged the Tsar to stand-down to prevent a revolution.
The Tsar refused and sent a telegram informing the military to stop the strikes. Most of the soldiers followed the order, but a few mutinies joined the protesters. The police also sided with the strikers, rendering civil authority useless.
Nicholas II abdicated on the 13th March 1917, after Russia’s defeat in World War 1, hoping to bring unity to Russia. This is known as the February revolution.
There was also an October revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik part who had communist ideology. Lenin wanted to overthrow the Provisional Government, which he successfully did. The October revolution ended the revolution that was started in February.
Saturday, 29 November 2008
rodchenko - a background
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko was born on 5th December 1891, in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was an artist, graphic designer, photographer and sculptor. He was one of the founders of Constructivism art and was also part of the Productivist art group.
His photography work was unique in itself, as he usually shot his works in very high or low angles, his reasoning fro this was that “one has to take several different shots of a subject, from different points of view and in different situations, as if one examined it in the round rather than looked through the same key-hole again and again.”
In 1921 Rodchenko produced the first monochrome pictures of red, blue and yellow. He claimed that this was the end of painting.
He became part of the Productivist group in 1921, where started producing graphics designs for movies, posters and books. He also started photomontaging, after being inspired by the German Dadaists, and released his first piece in 1923.
He worked closely with Mayakovsky, his first photomontage illustrated Mayakovsky’s poem “About This”, they also worked together to design the Constructivists journal LEF.
Rodchenko’s work has influenced a number of images to this day. Most notably the Dutch punk band ‘The Ex’ whose vinyl covers for their album ‘Hidegen Fujnak A Szelek/She Said’ imitating Rodchenko’s portrait of Lilya Brik. Similarly Franz Ferdinand’s album ‘You Could Have It So Much Better’ imitates the same image.
Another album cover from Franz Ferdinand resembles one of Rodchenko’s images. The cover for the single ‘Take Me Out’ is influenced by Rodchenko’s poster ‘One-Sixth Part of the World’.
His photography work was unique in itself, as he usually shot his works in very high or low angles, his reasoning fro this was that “one has to take several different shots of a subject, from different points of view and in different situations, as if one examined it in the round rather than looked through the same key-hole again and again.”
In 1921 Rodchenko produced the first monochrome pictures of red, blue and yellow. He claimed that this was the end of painting.
He became part of the Productivist group in 1921, where started producing graphics designs for movies, posters and books. He also started photomontaging, after being inspired by the German Dadaists, and released his first piece in 1923.
He worked closely with Mayakovsky, his first photomontage illustrated Mayakovsky’s poem “About This”, they also worked together to design the Constructivists journal LEF.
Rodchenko’s work has influenced a number of images to this day. Most notably the Dutch punk band ‘The Ex’ whose vinyl covers for their album ‘Hidegen Fujnak A Szelek/She Said’ imitating Rodchenko’s portrait of Lilya Brik. Similarly Franz Ferdinand’s album ‘You Could Have It So Much Better’ imitates the same image.
Another album cover from Franz Ferdinand resembles one of Rodchenko’s images. The cover for the single ‘Take Me Out’ is influenced by Rodchenko’s poster ‘One-Sixth Part of the World’.
Friday, 21 November 2008
new project: design time capsule
I will be using this blog to document my research for this project. For this project we have to design a box that is relevant to a design movement. I will also be keeping a sketch book to further add to my research and product development.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
need more ram
I have finished every side of my cereal box, however when I tried to create the 3D version on my fantastic laptop a message popped up saying I needed more ram, so therefore I will have to finish the design on the college macs.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Saturday, 1 November 2008
about my cereal
I have decided to create a children’s cereal, for 4-12 year olds, as I feel that designing for this demographic will be more fun and flexible. The images I will use will all be cartoons, and I will be applying a comical theme to it, which is not uncommon for children’s cereal. I will be trying to appeal to both genders, although the end product might be more appealing to boys as I will be using strong contrasting colours and a male mascot.
All the images used will be drawn in Adobe Illustrator, and I will be using bold colours to add to the cartoony effect.
The theme of the cereal will be outer space. The cereal will be corn clusters, representing comets. They will be cinnamon flavour, as that is a very popular choice amongst children. The images on the box will be of the mascot, an astronaut, who is standing outside of his space ship. There will be a maze on the reverse of the product where the user has to find their way out; the walls will be formed of small comets.
I am yet to think of a name for the cereal, but I’m edging towards one that will relate to the theme of the cereal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
