Life in the modernist era not only moved, it sped. As automobiles, airplanes, and high-speed industrial machinery proliferated at the turn of the twentieth century, a fascination with speed influenced artists—from Moscow to Manhattan—working in a variety of media. Russian avant-garde literary, visual, and cinematic artists were among those striving to elevate the ordinary physical concept of speed into a source of inspiration and generate new possibilities for everyday existence.
Although modernism arrived somewhat late in Russia, the increased tempo of life at the start of the twentieth century provided Russia’s avant-garde artists with an infusion of creative dynamism and crucial momentum for revolutionary experimentation. In Fast Forward Tim Harte presents a detailed examination of the images and concepts of speed that permeated Russian modernist poetry, visual arts, and cinema. His study illustrates how a wide variety of experimental artistic tendencies of the day—such as “rayism” in poetry and painting, the effort to create a “transrational” language (zaum’) in verse, and movements seemingly as divergent as neo-primitivism and constructivism—all relied on notions of speed or dynamism to create at least part of their effects.
Fast Forward reveals how the Russian avant-garde’s race to establish a new artistic and social reality over a twenty-year span reflected an ambitious metaphysical vision that corresponded closely to the nation’s rapidly changing social parameters. The embrace of speed after the 1917 Revolution, however, paradoxically hastened the movement’s demise. By the late 1920s, under a variety of historical pressures, avant-garde artistic forms morphed into those more compatible with the political agenda of the Russian state. Experimentation became politically suspect and abstractionism gave way to orthodox realism, ultimately ushering in the socialist realism and aesthetic conformism of the Stalin years.
Woodcarving Illustrated Issue 40 Fall 2007
To see who was honored for their achievements in the carving community!
Creating beautiful faux ivory carvings from PVC pipe
The Wood Sculptures of Darwin Dower
Historic rural life captured in amazing detail
Ivory Billed Woodpecker
By Gordon and Marsha Stiller
Simple cuts add texture to this happy fellow
Country Charm Quilt Squares
By Lora S. Irish
Classic fruit motifs are easy to carve
By Desiree Hajny
Woodburning makes it easy to reproduce a leathery texture
English Renaissance Candlesticks
By Frederick Wilbur
Repeating design and traditional elements combine for a striking display
Carving a Traditional Bowl & Spoon
Functional items showcase the beauty of wood
Colorful Snake Cane
Combine realistic and stylized elements for a striking project
By Barry McKenzie
Simple block style is easy to carve
Master the five basic cuts to increase your carving efficiency
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As the leading how-to magazine for woodcarvers, Woodcarving Illustrated promotes woodcarving as a fun pastime and recognized art form. Whether you’re just getting started in the world of woodcarving or have been making chips for decades, Woodcarving Illustrated is designed to help you make the most of your carving time. Each quarterly issue is jammed with projects, instructions, photos, tool reviews, tips, and techniques. Expert guidance from the world’s most talented carvers helps you to complete more projects and hone your skills.
