Author: [Edited by] Gorky, Maxim; Piatakov, G. L.; et al
Title: Ussr IM Bau (Ussr in Construction) [Nos. 2 (1930) and 9 (1930)]
Description: Moskau (Moscow), Staatsverlag der RSFSR (State Publishing House of the RSFSR), 1930. Softcover. First editions, two volumes; folio: 16 1/2 x 11 1/2; pp. 30 and 32 respectively; mustard and black wraps, printed in red, white, and gray; a bit of wear and small nicks to corners and edges; illustrated with photographs by Petrusov, Shterzer, Grigoriev, and others; cover art design by O. Deinek; overall in very good condition. One of the most artistic gems from the beginning of the Social Realism period, the journal was published monthly from 1930 to 1941 and, briefly, in 1949 in Russian, German, English, French, and, later, Spanish. The self-proclaimed purpose of the magazine was to portray Russia as an emerging industrial power, or "to publish a special illustrated magazine 'The USSR in Construction,' reflecting the colossal construction now taking place in the Soviet Union." The various issues often featured lavish fold-out illustrations, die-cuts, and photographic plates. The publication also drew articles from the most beloved authors of the times, including Isaac Babel and Sergei Tretiakov, and some of the most talented photo-journalists and artists - Georgii Zelma, Max Penson, Max Alpert, and others - as after Stalin's proclamation that Constructivism was bourgeois and the only acceptable form of art was Social Realism - photomontage was an alternative mode of expression to them all. The cover art on most of the issues was designed by El Lissitzky and his wife Sophie Lissitzky-Kuppers and Alexander Rodchenko and wife, Varvara Stepanova. Though initially the journal focused on featuring large industrial and construction projects, it later expanded its scope to cover sports, politics, transportation, and more. The current issues were dedicated to the textile and metallurgical industries, etc. Ill.: 0.

Keywords: Constructivism 0


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