El(egy)
Unboxing Suprematism
This is a translation of one of El Lissitzky’s paintings from 1924 into 3-dimensional form. Rather than delve into the philosophical aspects of suprematism, this project expresses a more fundamental relationship between two and three dimensional representation by using the process of modeling to illustrate some inherent ambiguities of form on a flat surface. At the most basic level, elements shown as squares or rectangles on the canvas are then constructed as cylindrical volumes in the model and forms which are circles on the canvas become rectangular in another model elevation. Through this exercise, we become aware of the limits of the plan, section, and elevation as architectural representations, yet can appreciate their simplicity and elegance as generators of form.