TATE MODERN: POETRY & DREAM: RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONARY POSTERS REVIEW

WEEK 3 DAY 1

 

Situated in a single room in London's Tate Modern within an exhibition named 'poetry and dream' is a collection of Russian revolutionary posters. This mini exhibition (curated by Matthew Gayle) displays an array of works created by various artists, many of them are unknown however they are almost all Russian in nationality. Within the small confines of the room exist roughly 50 posters in  no particular order but more of a chaotic spread which perhaps represents a sense of chaos that is contextually relevant for the Russian revolution.

 

All of the pieces cover a timespan of 1890s to early 1950s, during specific times of political unrest and general instability amongst much of the world due to both world wars occurring during this period of history. There were two obvious groupings to these propaganda posters: posters based on the Bolshevik party heavily supporting communism and the other group of posters represent the rise of Stalin and his dictatorship.

 

Within the same exhibition these two very different styles of propaganda contrast each other in purpose and in the messages they try to convey. This contrast creates an atmosphere within the room which along with the uncoordinated placement of the posters generates an impression of inconsistency and mess which is perhaps extremely relevant in that the exhibition curator may have purposefully aimed to spawn this effect to really bring the exhibition to life in the eyes of the viewer. 

 

My immediate reaction to this exhibition was positive, I stood in awe of the stunning use of colour coupled with bold lines creating an intense mood. I found that the intensity of each work was channelled into a particular theme through hints in the characters stance and facial expressions. Titles such as: 'Intense Western Greed', 'The Power of Stalin', 'Russian Pride' and 'Power to the People' would not look out of place on the description tablet of certain posters. The message of each piece is clear even though I can not understand Russian text which seems to be a key feature in the majority of these artworks. 

Personally I am fascinated by this graphic style and the sheer amount of posters in such a cramped space. I was also impressed when reading the exhibition information tablet: 'The continual renewal of images, as well as multiple copies pasted up together, reinforced the fundamental messages of communal power and solidarity'. Something about this specific quote captured my imagination where I could picture the Russian streets covered in overlapping sheets of monumental graphic art (much like modern street art collective 'Faile' but) with a strong sense of profoundness surrounding it. I found this exhibition very inspiring and am definitely looking to incorporate this graphic style into my future art works.



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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Internet: No Author. (2013) Russian Revolutionary Posters. Online. Available at URL: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/display/russian-revolutionary-posters 
Exhibition: Tate Modern 16.09.13
Images: Figs. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 Russian Revolutionary Poster. Authors own, 2013, Tate Modern