Socialist Realism, Heroic Realism and Constructivism

(Source: https://windsahclang.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/constructivism/)

Socialist Realism and Heroic Realism were the styles used during this era. Socialist Realism "was formally proclaimed by Maxim Gorky at the Soviet Writers Congress of 1934" (Tate, 2018) and was used to depict and glorify life in the Soviet Union. It was mandatory for artists of the style to show only the positive and the negative was prohibited by the Stalinist regime of the Soviet Union. 

Heroic Realism was a still embedded in the constructivist movement in the early twentieth century. It was used by both fascist and communist governments to show their leaders and political system in a heroic light. After Lenin, the Bolsheviks and the united proletariat forces overthrew the incompetent Czar and his regime that oppressed the masses of Russia the style was implemented in 1919. After Lenin's death and Stalin had consolidated in the Soviet Union, "posters quickly became the new medium for educating illiterate peasants on daily life" (Revolvy, n.d.). The style would show Stalin as a hero and instructed the people of the newly formed state how they should live; as comrades of the Stalinist regime.

Constructivism has been rooted in both of the previous styles. It was used to show the proletariat masses of the Soviet Union that their new way of life should be glorified. Workers were glorified using this style, as well as Stalin and the Red Army. Constructivism became the style that was used as a basis for propaganda in the Soviet Union and would become the style that would be used to change the workers of the Soviet Union mindsets and open them up to the new communist way of life. 

These styles also became prominent to be used by the Maoist government in China, as well as other communist nations around the world.

References

Revolvy (n.d.). "Heroic realism" on Revolvy.com. [online] Revolvy.com. Available at: https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Heroic+realism [Accessed 16 May 2018].

Tate. (2018). Socialist realism – Art Term | Tate. [online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/s/socialist-realism [Accessed 16 May 2018].