Of Divers Arts

Constructivist and sculptor Naum Gabo’s personal account of his development as an artist

A leading exponent of the modern art movement known as Constructivism, Russian-born Naum Gabo was one of the most important sculptors of the twentieth century--an artist, designer, and theorist whose work changed the course of modern art. Of Divers Arts is Gabo’s beautifully written personal account of his development and growing into consciousness as an artist and his constant search for new techniques of communication. Throughout, he reflects on the relationship between art and science and reveals the many important influences on his work, especially the natural world, Russian religious and folk art, and the work of the artist Mikhail Vrubel. The result is a remarkable autobiographical account of a major modern artist.

Naum Gabo (1890-1977) was an important sculptor and art theorist. After receiving a scientific education in his native Russia, he attended Heinrich Wölfflin’s art history lectures in Munich and resolved to become an artist. In 1920, in Moscow, Gabo and his brother, Antoine Pevsner, issued the famous Realistic Manifesto, outlining the principles of Constructivism, and Gabo held his first exhibition. Gabo was active in many avant-garde artistic movements in Europe between the world wars and emigrated to the United States after World War II. His sculptures are in major museum collections around the world.