Wonderlands of the Avant-Garde: Technology and the Arts in Russia of the 1920s

Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Quote

Wonderlands of the Avant-Garde Northwestern University Press Studies in Russian Literature and Theory Series Editors Robert Belknap Caryl Emerson Gary Saul Morson William Mills Todd III Andrew Wachtel Wonderlands of the Avant-Garde TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS IN RUSSIA OF THE 1920s Julia Vaingurt northwestern university press / evanston, illinois Northwestern University Press www.nupress.northwestern.edu This book has been published with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Copyright © 2013 by Northwestern University Press. Published 2013. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Vaingurt, Julia. Wonderlands of the avant-garde : technology and the arts in Russia of the 1920s / Julia Vaingurt. p. cm.—(Northwestern University Press studies in Russian literature and theory) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8101-2894-1 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Avant-garde (Aesthetics)—Russia (Federation)—History—20th century. 2. Russian literature—20th century—History and criticism. 3. Arts, Russian— 20th century. 4. Art and technology. 5. Machinery in literature. I. Title. II. Series: Studies in Russian literature and theory. N6988.5.A83V35 2013 891.70911—dc23 2012033499 o The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. In memory of my father, Mikhail Vaingurt April 15, 1942–July 23, 2007 Kulbin said that a new muse made its appearance—the muse Tekhnè. She was the muse of craftsmanship and professional skills elevated to art. . . . Tekhnè grew; she had presentiments of a struggle for new craftsmanship. It all ended, however, in the crimes of epigones. About ten years later, Shengeli made his appearance and began to write his books like How to Write Articles, Poems, and Stories. These books were advertised alongside textbooks like How to Repair Galoshes, but they were cheaper and sold only for 90 kopeks. Still cheaper was How to Feed Canaries, 50 kopeks. This is how low Tekhnè sank. However, this technique was not the technique of Tekhnè. This was the conceit of people who did not understand change in art. —Viktor Shklovsky, Mayakovsky and His Circle ...