The promotional poster for Rezinotrest, designed by Alexander Rodchenko in 1923, is a notable example of Constructivist art. Constructivism was an art movement that originated in Russia in the early 20th century, characterized by an abstract, graphic aesthetic that often incorporated industrial themes and geometric forms to promote socialist ideas. The genre of this artwork falls within advertisement and poster design.
The poster features a bold, graphic style with a limited color palette consisting primarily of yellow, black, red, and grey. It utilizes sharp, geometric shapes and strong typographic elements that are typical of the Constructivist movement. In the center, there is a depiction of a camel against a yellow background, which relates to the advertisement’s message. Sitting on the camel’s hump is a silhouette of a rooster in black, with a red exclamation mark above it, drawing attention to the urgency or significance of the message. The large, Cyrillic text is arranged in a dynamic way, playing with different angles and sizes to create a visual hierarchy and to convey a message about the products (rubber goods) offered by Rezinotrest, which stands out prominently in the text’s design at the bottom. The stylized, angular rendering of the text and images exemplifies the avant-garde approach of Russian Constructivist graphic design. The overall composition is striking and meant to catch the eye of the viewer through its simplicity and high contrast, serving as an effective piece of visual communication.
