Constructivism

Although the term 'Constructivism' was not coined until 1921, the concept underlying it originated with the Russian avant-garde circa 1913 and developed out of the ideas basic to abstract and non-representational art. Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, many of the Russian Constructivists moved to the West, spreading their ideas throughout Europe and the United States. In its early stages Constructivism was strongly influenced by scientific thinking and industrial technology, and was confined mainly to sculptures of metal, glass, wood, or plastic which emphasized space rather than mass. In turn, the "movement" was itself a major influence on the architecture and industrial design of the 1920’s, especially through the teachings of the Bauhaus School of Art and Design, which included on its staff the Russian-born artist Wassily Kandinsky. Constructivism as an active power lasted until around 1934, exerting a great deal of effect on developments in the art of the Weimar Republic and elsewhere, before being replaced by Socialist Realism.