Critique of "Artistic" and "Aesthetic" Typography: An Excerpt from the Book "Constructivism"

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Ad Marginem Publishing House is releasing a new work by Alexey Gan entitled "Constructivism," which contains an introduction by art historian Olga Safonova. With the publisher's permission, we are pleased to present an excerpt from this article, which describes the process of preparing this famous work for publication.

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The cover for the book entitled "Constructivism" was also created by hand. Perhaps a suitable font could not be found, but the design concept was based on elements of the printing process. The first two design versions were designed by A. Rodchenko. In one of them, the author's name, "Alexey Gan," is presented in bold red letters, while the title "Constructivism" is executed in long, thin lines, resulting in the formation of the name Gan in the form of a hyperboloid.

A sketch for the cover of the second edition of the book, undated, can be found in the personal archive of A. Rodchenko and V. Stepanova. It's unclear whether this was intended to be a new book or just a working draft developed at the initiative of A. Gan or A. Rodchenko himself. This version uses black and white lettering against a red background with the number 2. The most prominent word on the cover is "GAN," in capital letters, creating the impression of an acronym for an important association or community.

A new book was published with a different cover, likely based on a sketch by A. Rodchenko. At the time, printing was not possible, so wooden blocks were used. The design utilized two different sans-serif fonts and three sizes. The author's first and last name are highlighted in bright red against a light background, the only use of color in this edition and the most prominent inscription. The title "Constructivism" is written in white letters on a black rectangle, creating the effect of a negative image. Despite its handmade nature, the cover demonstrates Hahn's experimental approach: this book became an early example of elements that would later be associated with constructivist graphic design.

In his work "Constructivism", Gan uses a combination of fonts—classic serif and grotesque—varying their sizes, thicknesses, and the spacing between characters, as well as the space between lines. Some pages organically disrupt the usual perception of printed design. The text is laid out diagonally, and slogans are highlighted with bold underlining, which gives the pages rhythm and liveliness. Gan intended the text itself to become a visual reflection of his ideas. Large letters emphasize the significance of what is being said, while calm explanations are presented in a smaller font. Individual words or even entire phrases, which are set with increased letter spacing, may "jump out" within the article. Often, key terms or phrases are highlighted, breaking away from the main text and occupying an entire line.

Gan later claimed that this work was the first example of typographic design that challenged traditional notions of "artistic" and "aesthetic" typography. He defined principles of typographic work based on the industrial disciplines of constructivism. In his view, before beginning to create a printed surface, it is necessary to understand the content of the text, its purpose, and identify key emphases. In this way, the constructivist is able to select appropriate forms and effectively use available typographic materials.

Hahn emphasized another key aspect: the proper handling of tools, which are often overlooked. Fonts, clichés, rulers, squares, reglets, marshalling blocks, spacing blocks, sandpaper, as well as water and oil—all these materials are crucial for achieving high-quality texture in printing using ink and paper. He emphasized that the core of design lies in the layout. However, the layout itself is not a finished product until the printing process takes place. Only after the typographic flat form is transferred to the binding machine and finally assembled into the planned form, can conclusions be drawn about the quality of the printed product.

The term "constructivism" found its place in the history of printing almost immediately after its introduction. In 1925, two books intended for printing specialists were published in Kharkov. A. Sokolov, an instructor at the Kharkov School of Printing, published "The Typesetter's Handbook," in which he presented, as an example, constructive typesetting for propaganda brochures and political posters, citing the work of A. Gan, illustrating the concept of constructivism. In M. Dmitriev's practical guide to book typesetting, the author notes that he knows of only one book that was typeset and designed in violation of all traditional typographic rules. However, despite this, it creates the impression of a finished work of art and, moreover, involuntarily encourages the reader to read. "It's not done this way, but it should be done this way," he emphasizes, strongly recommending using a similar unusual approach in the design of propaganda literature.

Lodder, C. Constructivism. Alexey Gan. Barcelona, ​​2013. P. 56.

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Gan A. A study of constructivism in the field of typographic production. P. 119.

Gan A. An examination of constructivism in the field of typographic production. P. 119.

Sokolov A. Handbook for typesetters. Kharkov, 1925. P. 167.

Dmitriev M. Book technique. A practical guide to typesetting and book business for workers of printing houses and publishing houses. Kharkov, 1925. Pp. 34-35.

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