The Constructivist movement originated with a pair of sculptors from Moscow -' Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevsner -- who wrote the Realistic Manifesto in 1920. From there, the movement infiltrated other mediums for the next decade or so before it morphed... [more]

The Constructivist movement originated with a pair of sculptors from Moscow -' Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevsner -- who wrote the Realistic Manifesto in 1920. From there, the movement infiltrated other mediums for the next decade or so before it morphed into the International Modern movement. 'Efficiency for its purpose' was the motto of the designers involved in this movement, which was linked to mass production and industry -- essentially for the purpose of constructing a new post-war political and social paradigm. Constructivist design was realized by a variety of designers and architects throughout Europe who concentrated on the formal relationships between the structure and the space it occupies, with all ornamentation and accessorizing discarded. Although the Constructivists had high ideals, funds were lacking for even the most basic construction projects, let alone experimental ones. Germany had the biggest collection of groups falling under the Constructivist umbrella, while Holland furnished the most prolific manifestations of Constructivism in relation to design, with the cone, sphere, and cylinder describing essential structural forms. Utilizing the latest technological advancements in both materials and construction techniques, designers including Le Corbusier, Theo van Doesberg, the De Stijl followers, and even the up-and-coming Bauhaus designers dove head first into Constructivist explorations. [show less]