Meeting Point 05: MOMus-Museum of Modern Art
Liubov Popova, Design for cover of periodical “Film Performers” (Artisty Kino) no. 2, 1922-23 Gouache on board, 15,8 x 23,4 cm
Costakis Collection, MOMus-Museum of Modern Art
Creative Audio Description MP05 (/ - x)
Creative description
Lyubov Popova’s artwork is a cover design for the magazine “Artisty Kino” (Film Performers) created in 1922-23 using a type of watercolour (gouache) on board, as part of the Russian avant-garde movement. It is a rectangular graphic design with a vertical orientation, approximately the size of half a page, based on a pattern of concentric circles.
The concentric circles, depicted in relief, are of equal thickness, either white or blue in colour, and dynamically alternate with each other, overlapping the borders of the cover. Consequently, the outer circles appear fragmented, while the painted surface appears densely packed. In the top left corner, a black rectangle frames the words “АРТИСТЫ КИНО” (Artisty Kino) in Russian in White colour, while in the bottom right corner, a smaller black rectangle with the Latin letter “N” and the number “2” in white interrupts the flow of the circles.
The design was intended for the cover of the second issue of the magazine “Artisty Kino”, which was never published. The dense graphic composition is characterized by symmetry and clean geometric shapes, harmoniously incorporating the five axes that concerned the artist’s practice: colour, shape, space, texture, and energy. The alternating concentric circles create a dynamic composition reminiscent of a target or a spiral, drawing attention to the centre. The choice of the circle as the main motif is evident in many other artworks by Lyubov Popova and other Russian avant-garde artists, possibly influenced by the form of the film reel or the film lens, combined with the powerful advertising features. Lyubov Popova was a pioneer in graphic design, particularly in the creation of typefaces, often utilising the collage technique for their design.
Photos from Meeting Point 05: MOMus-Museum of Modern Art
The creative description of Lyubov Popova’s artwork for the cover of the magazine “Artisty Kino” is the result of co-creation by the participants in Meeting Point 05: MOMus-Museum of Modern Art.
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