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[MAYAKOVSKY, KAMENSY, BOR-RAMENSKY] Yunost' Mayakovskogo [i.e. Mayakovsky’s Youth]

Kamensky, V.

Item #2158

Tbilisi: Zakkniga, 1931. 84 pp., 1 ill.: ads. 17,7x12,8 cm. In original publisher’s constructivist cardboards by Konstantin Bor-Ramensky. Covers slightly worn, but otherwise in a very good condition.

Scarce. First edition. 1 of 5,000 copies. Text in Russian. With a black-and-white portrait of Kamensky by Vladimir Mayakovsky. Bor-Ramensky’s remarkable constructivist cover design, printed in red and black, features Mayakovsky's portrait, the date of the Revolution, Mayakovsky's age at the time of the Revolution, titles of his publications, and a quote from one of his poems. Konstantin Bor-Ramensky (1900-1943) was a self-taught graphic artist, interior designer, and decorator of workers' clubs in Siberia, Tbilisi, and Moscow. He is remembered as a pioneering Russian graphic designer, best known for his constructivist designs of agitational posters. Bor-Ramensky was killed in action during World War II in 1943.
The first Soviet account of the early years of the Futurist poet and artist Vladimir Mayakovsky written by his close friend, avant-garde poet, playwright, and pioneering Russian aviator Vasily Kamensky (1884-1961) in 1931. The two met in the late 1900s through their mutual friend David Burliuk and "from the very first meeting, never parted – living and working together." Together, the trio – Kamensky, Mayakovsky, and Burliuk – undertook the famous Futurist Tour of Russia (1913-1914), giving lectures and poetry readings in outrageous attire. The founders of Russian Futurism maintained a close relationship until Mayakovsky’s final days, fighting for the Revolution and the “supremacy of Futurism.”
The monograph was published in Tbilisi a year after Mayakovsky's death, possibly reflecting the trio's affection for a city they deeply admired. Their first visit to Tbilisi was during their 1914 tour, and they returned often, famously declaring, “Tbilisi will never abandon us.” Kamensky had first visited the city in 1910 and returned repeatedly, publishing several works there, including Devushki Bosikom (1917), Tsuvamma (1920), and Pushkin and Dantes (1928).
In the book, Kamensky reflects on his years of friendship with Mayakovsky, from their first meeting in the late 1900s to the poet's final days. He details their Cubo-Futurist tour across the Russian Empire (Kharkov, Poltava, Odessa, Kyiv, Kazan, etc.) and affectionately recalls their wanderings along Golovinsky Prospect in Tbilisi. The narrative offers rare insights into Mayakovsky's work process during the writing of "Mayakovsky's Tragedy,"his animosity toward Balmont, and their time at the Brodyachaya Sobaka café. Kamensky also discusses Mayakovsky's relationships with women, his Bolshevik activism, and how they published the first magazine of Russian Futurists. Especially interesting are Kamensky's recollections of Mayakovsky's relationship with Lilya Brik and the emotional turmoil it caused him. The book concludes with reflections on Mayakovsky's frequent mood swings leading up to his tragic decision. Overall, the first-hand account of Mayakovsky’s early years.

Price: $1,250.00