CONSTRUCTION - REPRODUCTION and Film in Polish Constructivism. Graphic Arts, Photography

The author deals with the problem of an interest in photography and film, shown by Polish avantgarde artists from its beginnings. According to him, photomontage, film, prints made of typographic elements, and first of all film collage were the means that were perfectly suitable for the realisation of Constructivist ideas. One of the basic aims of Constructivism - to turn towards new materials - could be put in practice through the use of finished and prefabricated elements. He traces the way in which the artworks were evolving from the 'literary quality' of the early photomontages of Mieczyslaw Szczuka, Teresa Zarnower's abstract and geometric compositions, Stefan Themerson's films, inspired by 'Constructivism Pharmacy' (1930) and 'Europa' (1932) and Jalu Kurek's ('Rhytmic Calculations', 1932) into typically collage-montage films of Janusz Maria Brzeski ('Sections', 1931; 'Concrete', 1933) or his anti-Utopian and anti-industrial series of photomontages 'The Robot is Born' (1934). The author also points out that after a period of Utopian projects by artists relishing a regained freedom, the Constructivists expressed through art their, mostly left-wing, political beliefs.