3. Postman 1923

Curator: El Lissitzky's "3. Postman," part of the artist's "Figurinen" portfolio, presents an intriguing constructivist figure rendered in precise geometric forms. It's reminiscent of mechanical drawings. Editor: It feels precarious, this assembly of shapes. As if the slightest shift could send it tumbling. Does that vulnerability speak to a larger anxiety about communication, perhaps? Curator: Interesting point. Lissitzky's portfolio originated as costume designs for the never-produced futuristic opera, "Victory Over the Sun." He explored the intersection of stagecraft and industrial design. Editor: Costume as a cage, perhaps, limiting movement. It's hard to imagine a real person inhabiting this form without feeling restricted. Considering the opera’s title, I wonder if the postman represents a battle against traditional structures. Curator: It's a fascinating contrast: the functional role of a postman represented by such rigid, almost inhuman, forms. Editor: The figure embodies the tension between progress and the human condition. Curator: The materials and methods Lissitzky employed, like drawing, emphasize the crafted and deliberate nature of this figure's assembly. Editor: Which ultimately brings me back to questioning what freedom is being represented, if any. Curator: Food for thought, indeed.