Porosiata (Piglets)

Porosiata (Piglets) is an Illustrated Book created by Kazimir Malevich in 1913, utilizing the medium of a book featuring two original lithographs, including the cover design. This pivotal Russian work exemplifies the artist's engagement with Cubo-Futurist principles just prior to his groundbreaking invention of Suprematism.

The book format itself was a vital component of the Russian avant-garde in the early 1910s, allowing artists to disseminate ideas rapidly and cheaply, often featuring rough, energetic aesthetics intended to shock traditional sensibilities. Malevich utilized simple lithography to produce the imagery, demonstrating an interest in the tactile quality of the medium. The crude, dynamic style of the included prints aligns with the Futurist movement’s emphasis on the primitive and the zaum, or transrational language, often employed by his contemporaries.

At the time of its creation, Malevich was actively moving away from purely figurative representations toward abstraction. While the title suggests identifiable subject matter (piglets), the visual presentation utilizes fragmented shapes and aggressive lines characteristic of the Cubo-Futurist approach to form. This particular piece highlights the important role that ephemeral, mass-produced media played in the development of modern art, placing it in dialogue with experimental typography and graphic design of the era.

This early and significant illustrated book is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. As a key document from the ferment of Russian modernism in 1913, the work provides crucial insight into Malevich’s transitional period. Items like this book, which served as important early prints of the artist’s ideas, remain essential to understanding the full scope of his artistic evolution.