The Russian Avant-Garde

The Russian avant-garde movement was fueled by a multitude of things: an eagerness to abolish the traditional and academic approach to composition, a new value and appreciation for abstraction to express the experience of modern life, and most notably, a desire for change both socially and politically. This group of radical artists formed during the rise of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union—a time riddled with revolutions and uprisings by those who detested the power. In the midst of this hostile environment came some of the most inspired artworks in modern day history, paving the way for emerging artists like Malevich, El Lissitsky, and Olga Rozanova. These artists, along with countless others of the time, introduced a new functionality and innovation to modern art—a means of dismantling their dystopian society in favor of a more pure and abstract means of expression.