Edited and designed by Mikhail Anikst
Introduction and texts by Elena Chernevich
‘The art of the Soviet avant-garde in the 1920s and 1930s has come to pervade many areas of life in the western world, from music and fashion to theatre and architecture. Now this book reveals for the first time one of the most original, influential and exciting aspects of post-Revolution art: commercial graphic design. Compiled and designed by the distinguished Soviet graphic artist Mikhail Anikst, this stimulating survey re-creates the period in all its richness and variety. Hundreds of the designs are reproduced from posters and book covers to sweet wrappers, cigarette- and match-boxes and every kind of packaging most of which have never been seen before outside the Soviet Union.
Their freshness and energy are irresistible, and the sense of purpose that underlies them all will be a lasting inspiration to designers and artists alike. With its wealth of previously unpublished illustrations this remarkable book will stand as the definitive account of one of the most crucial phases in the history of modern design.’