LISSTISKY, EL (LAZAR LISSITSKII), illustrator. Dlya golosa. [For the Voice.] Berlin: GIZ, 1923.
8vo. 61 pp. Original Constructivist orange wrappers. Wrappers heavily restored; internal thumb soiling.

ONE OF THE MASTERWORKS OF MODERN BOOK DESIGN. Mayakovsky and Lissitzky pulled out all the stops in producing this Constructivist classic. The 13 poems were intended to be read aloud at the top of the voice and the book's design shouts as well. Taking the form of a phone book, Lissitzky provided a thumb index so the reader could easily find the individual poems. He cleverly used various typefaces of different sizes to create the decor of the volume. Using just red and black, he created a book of constant visual surprises as one flips from one page to the next. It is a remarkable achievement in which the Constructivist has employed the simplest means to create the most complex artistic results.