The Power of Pictures

'A powerful exhibition shows how fine photography distorted the harsh realities of the Soviet regime — but still made some brilliant art' - The FT

A fascinating account of the avant-garde photo-based arts from the early Soviet Union, featuring many previously unpublished images

From early constructivist works by Alexander Rodchenko and El Lissitzky, to the modernist images of Arkady Shaikhet and Max Penson, Soviet photographers played a pivotal role in the history of modern photography. The Power of Pictures: Early Soviet Photography, Early Soviet Film, the companion book to the 2015/6 exhibition at the Jewish Museum New York, examines how photography, film, and poster art were harnessed to disseminate Communist ideology. Covering the period from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution through the 1930s, the book explores how early modernist photography and film influenced a new Soviet style while energising and expanding the nature of the media.

Three essays trace this generation of artists, their experiments with new media, and their pursuit of a new political order. A wealth of photographs, film stills, and film posters, as well as magazine and book designs, demonstrate the range of style, content, and perspective, as well as the power of the photograph to change the world.

Details

• Author: Susan Tumarkin Goodman, Senior Curator, The Jewish Museum
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Date published: October 2015
• Language: English
• Delivery: Allow 1-2 weeks
• ISBN: 978-0300207682
• Product Dimensions: 28.4 x 22.9 x 2.3 cm