Andrew Eynon

Meyerhold and Eisenstein: the Creation of a Non-realist Aesthetic in Revolutionary Art Andrew Eynon

This work examines the role of Vsevolod Meyerhold in the creation of canonical theatrical productions in the genres of Symbolism, Theatre of the Grotesque, Commedia dell'Arte revival, Agitprop and Constructivism. The work argues that these productions form the basis of a coherent non-realist aesthetic, which successfully married avant-garde forms with politically revolutionary content. The legacy of this aesthetic can most clearly be seen in the work of Meyerhold's pupil, the film director Sergei Eisenstein, who created the canonical works of politically committed non-realist cinema.