Poster 1920

Curator: Alexander Khvostenko-Khvostov’s poster from 1920 utilizes ink, graphite, and pen to convey a powerful message from the early Soviet era. What is your initial read of the work? Editor: Stark. Visually, it’s reminiscent of hastily printed pamphlets, yet the urgency of its call to action jumps right out. I am drawn to the texture – how the simple materials communicate so much about the socio-economic reality. Curator: Indeed. The piece reflects the Russian Avant-Garde movement with its roots in social realism, attempting to capture, in its medium and construction, the struggles within early 20th-century rural Russian society during a time of great political transformation. Editor: It strikes me that the raw aesthetic, using what was accessible and inexpensive, directly speaks to the working classes it was aimed at galvanizing, doesn't it? You can almost smell the ink and feel the coarse paper it’s printed on, which really draws attention to the production value of mass communication and its relationship to mobilizing action. Curator: Precisely. The text calls on "the poor and middle peasants" to elect representatives and to "drive out the kulaks," who were essentially wealthier peasants. The figures are rendered in a somewhat simplified style that speaks to a desire to create an art that everyone could understand and act upon. We must consider the context—class divisions, the collectivization efforts. Editor: The artist’s choice of simple drawing seems directly connected to its aim— widespread, grassroots dissemination, emphasizing that revolutionary potential arises not just from elite artists but through everyday people acting on accessible materials. Curator: Ultimately, this poster shows the ways in which the Russian avant-garde grappled with the relationship between artistic practice and political realities. Editor: Looking closely at this image reminds me how profoundly art, material and context can intermingle, shaping perceptions, even triggering revolutions.