‘Fulfilled Plan, Great Work’ (1930) by Gustav Klutsis

Robbie Blair

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FGD1 The Archive

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2 min read

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Oct 23, 2017

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Gustav Klutsis was a Latvia born graphic designer who was hired to produce a series of posters to celebrate the 13th anniversary of the communist revolution in Russia. Klutsis was himself know to be affiliated with the communist party and produced several works of propaganda for the party, especially while it was under the control of Joseph Stalin.

‘Fulfilled Plan, Great Work’ was created in the style of the ‘Vkhutemas’ school of art that was established while Lenin was in power, which lead to the Klutsis becoming a member of the Constructive movement. This somewhat abstract approach to design means it was more about the symbolism in his work that realism. The hands in the poster is Klutsis’ own hand that but in the design it is used to represent the workers, a massive part of the communist movements goals. But he also uses it to represent the work artists have done for the movement. He uses photos of the faces of workers on the design, to have them be the center of the posters image, having them appear as a collective mass instead of individuals. Klutsis created the imagery by using photomontage and then using a lithograph to make the final press of the poster.

This symbolism heavy approach to design was something that makes Klitsis such an influential designer, inspiring designers like Saul Bass. In another of his designs “Under the banner of Lenin for socialist construction” Klutsis uses images of Lenin and Stalin as to insinuate the idea that Stalin is the rightful successor. But due to its abstract design and for the imagery pushing Stalin into the dark behind Lenin it wasn’t what the Stalin run state wanted. Klutsis designers were criticized for not showing the social “realism” that Stalin wanted to portray to the people of communist Russia, as well as didn’t show him as a hero like figure to the people.

The soviet union under the power of Stalin pushed Klutsis’ type of design and, despite Klutsis being a firm believer in the party and a follower of Stalin himself, even went as far as to have Klutsis secretly arrested and killed. Klutsis’ influence was almost lost due to Stalin’s power and censorship. But thanks to Klutsis’ wife Valentina Kulagina his designs were not lost to history and managed to become a big influence in the way graphic design was approached.