Valentina Kulagina

Painter and experimental book, poster, and exhibition designer Valentina Kulagina was a central figure in the October collective alongside other Soviet artistic luminaries, like her husband Gustav Klutsis, El Lissitzky, and Alexander Rodchenko. She was best known for her use of photomontage—a method of cutting and pasting together photographs pioneered by her and her husband—to create posters and other graphic work that supported the aims and spirit of the Soviet government, while often subverting those same ends through a wry sense of humor and ironic imagery. Unlike Klutsis, Kulagina’s method of photomontage more heavily relied on original illustration and other media. She also famously designed parts of the Soviet pavilion at the landmark “Pressa” exhibition in Cologne, Germany, which brought together the most important Modernist designers, artists, and publishers of the era.