Book Graphics of B.B. Titov

The article is devoted to the artwork of B.B. Titov, one of the most prolific and original domestic book artists, whose heritage is still understudied. Analyzing numerous covers and a few illustrative cycles, created by the master during the 1920s-1930s, the author reveals the characteristic features of the book graphics of B.B. Titov, as well as the circle of his favourite themes and techniques. In the laconic figurative drawings by the artist (usually contour or silhouette) there appeared characteristic of that age understanding of book graphics as a very conditional art, designed to reveal not common specifics, but “symbolism of images”. In a most diverse and inventive manner the book artist works with the most hackneyed symbolic objects (hammer and sickle, two-headed eagle), each time playing with these characters in new ways, turning them into ornamental elements. Non-objective covers by Titov, often only associatively connected with the title and content of the book, designed very unusually, clearly detect proximity of the master to Art Deco style. Individuality of the artist appeared as well in a purely typography work, where letters and numbers, as if endowed with human characters, sometimes acting pretty strange, enter into complex relationships. Highly distinctive artwork of B.B. Titov, who managed to synthesize very different from each other stylistic trends, who defined the “graphic outlook” of the products of such major publishers and publishing houses as Gosizdat, “Federatsia” (Federation), “Zemlya i Fabrika” (Land and Factory), “Proletarian” - is extremely interesting and significant, however, undervalued phenomenon of the Russian book culture.

Book Design, Graphics, Cover, Art Deco, B.B. Titov

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