He was born into the family of a nobleman, a railway engineer; showed ability to paint at the age of 7.
1885 - 1953
Vladimir Tatlin
description
A Ukrainian artist and graphic artist, designer and set designer, who worked for a considerable time in Moscow. V. Tatlin was the founder of the Art Constructivism and the largest representative of the innovative movement in the art of the 20th century. The symbol of this art movement is the “Tatlin’s Tower”, developed by the innovator in 1919.
The bearing structures placed outside are an important symbol of the world avant-garde; the entire appearance of the building, which was supposed to be the highest in the world at that time, is a kind of calling card of Constructivism itself. The main functional space of the conference tower was three glass blocks – a cube, a cylinder, and a cone, which rotated, measuring with its turns a year, a month, and a day, respectively. Not implemented as a building, the construction has been astonishing people for a century: having started its world fame with the International Exhibition in Paris in 1925, it was reproduced hundreds of times and in various variations (for example, in the Georges Pompidou Center in 1979).
V. Tatlin, as the leader of the Russian plastic avant-garde, inspired many artists who worked in his studio, promoting non-objective art in life. He was also a professor at the Kiev and Moscow Higher Art Schools, where he conducted such innovative courses as theatre, film and photo art.
The “counter-reliefs” of the artist, who refused from easel painting for some time, opened the era of Constructivism a bit later than Suprematism of his friend and enemy Malevich emerged, and earlier than plane geometric painting began to be practised.
The artist collaborated with the director of “Berezil”, Les Kurbas, was one of the founders of the Ukrainian children’s theatre.
Key ideas:
– Large and rhythmically coordinated planes are characteristic of Tatlin’s early painting. At the same time, the influence of the traditions of icon painting technique is clearly visible. It also influenced the choice of the palette – a combination of blue and ocher-red flowers.
– Having been in the workshop of Picasso, Tatlin who hid his name and occupation from the great Cubist was inspired with the ideas of building three-dimensional relief compositions and, according to experts, surpassed his teacher in this genre.
– A significant part of mature works characterizes the desire of their author to abolish the representative function of art and apply it for new, more practical purposes. This is often dictated by the attempts to put art at the service of the revolution, and also to express the dynamic 20th century. The artist went from modernist experiments to the practical design up to the creation of the models of simple and comfortable clothes for Soviet citizens.
– Serving the real world of the century dictated the use of such materials as glass, iron, wire, and so on in counter-relief compositions. Voluminous compositions usually were objectless and had to be the embodiment of the epoch itself. Despite the fact that the later generation of artists who gave their art to advertising and propaganda of the government achieved it, Tatlin’s paintings are an important early stage in such transformations of the role and purpose of art.
– Performing as a stage designer, Tatlin gave his version of the constructivist theatre in the spectacle based on Khlebnikov’s book “Zangezi” in collaboration with L. Kurbas and his group “Berezil”.
– In the late period, the artist accused of formalism painted still-lifes (mostly flowers), portraits of simple people in an expressionistic manner.
1885
1896
1902
1905
1910
1912
1913
1915
1920
1923
1925
1932
1938
1953
The birth of the artist
Entered the Kharkiv Real School
Entered the Kharkiv Real School, where he received his first professional skills in drawing and painting by learning from famous artist and teacher Dmitry Bezperchy. At the age of 13, he ran away from his house, sailed to Turkey as a cabin boy, helped decorators, icon painters, theater artists.
Studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
Studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, but was expelled a year later “for disapproving behavior and poor academic progress”; after that, he studied at the Odessa School of Merchant Shipping for one year.
Entered the Penza Art School
Entered the Penza Art School, where he was a student of Goryushkin-Sorokopudov, Afanasyev and others. He graduated from the institution with the title of professional draftsman (the painting department) in 1910. At the same time, he studied in several studios and avant-garde circles of both capitals, in particular, Mashkov’s studio.
He was engaged in the Moscow studio of A. Morgunov
After the Third Salon of “Golden Fleece”, he participated in the exhibitions of the communities “World of Art”, “Union of Youth”, “Jack of Diamonds”, “Donkey’s Tail”, and in the Second Salon of Izdebsky (Kiev and Odessa). He was engaged in the Moscow studio of A. Morgunov (at that time, V. Serov worked there) and closely got into contact with M. Larionov.
Organized his own studio
Organized his own studio, where L. Popova and A. Morgunov, N. Udaltsova and R. Falk, K. Malevich worked regularly or occasionally until the autumn of 1915. Analytical studies of the form were conducted in the workshop.
As a bandura singer, he accompanied an exhibition of handicrafts in Berlin
As a bandura singer, he accompanied an exhibition of handicrafts in Berlin. Having earned money (Kaiser Wilhelm II gifted him a gold watch for the execution of the Cossack dumas, which Tatlin then sold), visited the Paris workshop of P. Picasso together with sculptor Zh. Lipshits. As a member of the society “Union of Youth”, he was a regular participant in its exhibitions. He organized “The First Exhibition of Art Reliefs”.
«0,10»
Participated in the legendary Last Futuristic Exhibition “0.10”, presenting voluminous “non-objective” works – “counter-reliefs” (material selection). Exhibited his works at the shows “Artists of Moscow”, “Tram B”, “1915”.
Tatlin Tower
Finished creating the project and model of his most famous creation, the “Monument of the Third International” (Tatlin Tower) – a colossal 400-meter-high monument containing original spatial combinations of spiral and cantilever, rod and pendant forms. The project was the result of a synthesis of painting, architecture and sculpture, and was conceived as a giant machine in the service of the progress of history.
“Zangezi”
As a set designer and actor, he staged a play based on V. Khlebnikov’s poem “Zangezi” – a loud premiere was held at the State Institute for Artistic Culture in Moscow. The artist and constructor later designed the spectacle “Gaydamaki” on the poem by T. Shevchenko (Kharkov).
The model of the Tatlin Tower was sent to the World Art Exhibition in Paris
The model of the Tatlin Tower was sent to the World Art Exhibition in Paris; it made a splash there. A month later, the construction was presented at the May Day parade in Leningrad. The artist was invited to be a professor at the Kyiv Art Institute, where he worked two years; his colleagues were F. Krichevsky, M. Boichuk, and V. Palmov, among the students – I. Karakis, etc. He studied the anatomy and flight of birds for the manufacture of the apparatus “Letatlin”, repeatedly reproduced by various museums of the world (in 1991 – the Zeppelin Museum, Germany).
The only lifetime personal exhibition of the artist was organized
The only lifetime personal exhibition of the artist was organized. However, in the following years, the artist’s work was regarded as the most obvious and “harmful formalism”. He had permanent work problems – had to create book graphics and create small scenography.
Tatlin’s sketches and already made panels for the All-Union Exhibition were destroyed
Tatlin’s sketches and already made panels for the All-Union Exhibition were destroyed as “politically harmful”. In the future, he worked giving advices in the architectural studio, or heading a brigade that made visual handbooks for Moscow University. From the late 1930s, he painted landscapes, still lifes and portraits.
The death of the artist
He died on May 31, 1953 in Moscow, USSR.
Vladimir Tatlin
On Artist
flow
Primitivism
Futurism
Minimalism
Cubism
Constructivism
friends
Mikhail Larionov
Alexey Morgunov
Victor Nikandrovich Palmov
Alexander Veniaminovich Khvostenko-Khvostov
Vadim Georgievich Meller
artists
Ilya Mashkov
Kazimir Malevich
Pablo Picasso
Umberto Boccioni
By Artist
flow
Constructivism
friends
Natalya Goncharova
Lyubov Popova
artists
Nadezhda Udaltsova
Robert Falk
Joseph Yulievich Karakis
Alexander Mikhailovich Rodchenko
Dan Flavin