Rhythmically arranged cog wheels, pulleys, conveyor belts, and cranes take center stage in Exter’s two drawings for a mural. The final mural featured in the Mechanical Engineering Pavilion at the 1923 All-Russian Exhibition of Agriculture and Home Industries in Moscow. The pavilion was intended to present cutting-edge designs for mechanical equipment and showcase the impact of industrialization on everyday life. Exter’s use of diagonals and circles, as well as her layering of elements in space, gives the composition a sense of dynamism that recalls her background in theater design.
Gallery label from 2024
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Medium
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Gouache, ink, watercolor, and pencil on paper
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Dimensions
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24 1/8 × 35 1/8" (61.3 × 89.2 cm)
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Credit
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The Merrill C. Berman Collection. Acquired through the generosity of Alice and Tom Tisch, Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, David Booth, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, Jack Shear, the Patricia Bonfield Endowed Acquisition Fund for the Design Collection, Daniel and Jane Och, The Orentreich Family Foundation, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, The Modern Women's Fund; and by exchange: Gift of Jean Dubuffet in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Colin, The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection, and the Richard S. Zeisler Bequest
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Object number
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430.2018
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Department
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Drawings and Prints
