Russian, born Finland, 1892-1956
Construction Relief, ca. 1915-16 Painted wood and tin on wood support, 22 7/8 x 18 3/8 x 3 1/2 in. (58.1 x 46.7 x 8.9 cm.)
Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, Dallas, Texas
1986.A.08
Label Text
This rich assemblage of found objects and cut-out forms is a rare early sculpture by Ivan Puni. A key figure in the Russian avant-garde in the 1910s, Puni is thought to have made over thirty relief sculptures between 1914 and 1919, most of them now lost or destroyed. In this constructed relief, Puni placed old-fashioned decorative material in an uncompromisingly modern context. The combination of geometric shapes and real objects is typical of Cubist constructions. However, the sparseness of the composition and clear overlapping of elements also signals the influence of Suprematism, an artistic language invented by Puni's friend, Kasimir Malevich.