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Announcer

Broadsheet
2014 (printed and published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of series of artworks by David Mabb in which he explores manifestations of Socialist/Marxist ideas, often through the adaptation of designs by William Morris and the Russian Constructivists. The cover to this broadsheet reproduces the cover desinged by El Lissitzky for ‘For the Voice’ a revolutionary collection of poems by Valdimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930), published in Berlin in 1923, which reflected themes he took up in the period after the Russian Revolution such as anger with the idle and satiated bourgeoisie, compassion for the struggle of the common people, and a call for an “army of the arts” to help in the fight against the old order. In the 'Announcer' exhibition, David Mabb celebrated the utopian ideas of Morris and El Lissitzky through their seminal book designs: Morris’s Kelmscott Press edition of 'The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer' and Lissitzky’s designs for 'For the Voice', considered one of the finest achievements in Russian avant-garde bookmaking.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleAnnouncer (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Letterpress
Brief description
David Mabb: Announcer, 2014. Broadsheet/newspaper, produced to accompany David Mabb’s exhibition ‘Announcer’, Focal Point Gallery, Southend, 12 April – 12 July 2014
Physical description
Broadsheet/newspaper printed in orange, red and black with text in Cyrillic script.
Dimensions
  • Height: 37.5cm (folded to)
  • Width: 29cm (folded to)
Credit line
Given by the artist
Production
From an un-numbered edition of 2000.
Subject depicted
Literary referenceVladimir Mayakovsky: 'For the Voice', Berlin, 1923
Summary
This is one of series of artworks by David Mabb in which he explores manifestations of Socialist/Marxist ideas, often through the adaptation of designs by William Morris and the Russian Constructivists. The cover to this broadsheet reproduces the cover desinged by El Lissitzky for ‘For the Voice’ a revolutionary collection of poems by Valdimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930), published in Berlin in 1923, which reflected themes he took up in the period after the Russian Revolution such as anger with the idle and satiated bourgeoisie, compassion for the struggle of the common people, and a call for an “army of the arts” to help in the fight against the old order. In the 'Announcer' exhibition, David Mabb celebrated the utopian ideas of Morris and El Lissitzky through their seminal book designs: Morris’s Kelmscott Press edition of 'The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer' and Lissitzky’s designs for 'For the Voice', considered one of the finest achievements in Russian avant-garde bookmaking.
Collection
Accession number
E.2893-2016

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Record createdDecember 19, 2016
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