Constructivism/Suprematism

Russian art movements in the early 20th century

In 1919 the popular avant-garde style of art was widely critisized by officials in Russia.  At the time Russia was emerging from its agricultural heritage to become an industrial nation. Artists such as Tatlin and Rodchenko were rejecting self-expression and their work changed to illustrate their commitment to industrial materials.  El Lissitzky moved towards Suprematism with his propaganda work in support of the Russian revolution.  Constructivists renounced fine art and worked for the communist movement.  As you can see from the last image, both Constructivism and Suprematism originate from Cubism and went on to evolve into Bauhaus and abstract art.

A Google search for Suprematism displays the following images:

I particularly like this image by Kazimir Malevich - the colours, the irregular but strong shapes, and the slightly dirty primary colours. The layout looks perfectly imbalanced.