Not a Fellow Traveller, 1923
Photolithographic cover; letterpressexpand_more
Gift of the Print and Drawing Councilexpand_more 2000.130.1
Not on Viewexpand_more
LEF was a group initiated by Vladimir Mayakovsky and Osip Brik late in 1922 as a publisher of books and journals. Not a Fellow Traveler was among its first publications; its text was first published in the LEF Journal in 1923 and in book form the same year.
Anton Lavinsky's cover for the book was inspired by an idea of Mayakovsky. The bold lettering of the title is set at a diagonal paralleling the compositional format of the image of a speeding train.
The image was intended to demonstrate Brik's unwavering commitment to the Revolution in contrast to the uncertainty of a "fellow traveler"-a term invented by the militant Marxist Leon Trotsky to characterize writers "who are not the artists of the proletarian revolution but its artistic fellow travelers."
Details
- Title
- Not a Fellow Traveller
- Artist Life
- 1893 - 1968
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2000.130.1
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Compton 54; Hellyer 57
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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