A French book, First Volume, Varvara Stepanova A Constructivist Life by Alexander Lavrentiev. Philippe Sers Editor, Paris, 1988. In this first extensive study of her life and work, Varvara Stepanova, 1894 to 1958, emerges as a remarkable artist whose versatility, energy, and contribution to the Russian avant garde matched and in some cases exceeded that of her husband, Alexander Rodchenko. The book is written and designed by Aleksander Lavrentiev, who is the grandson of Rodchenko and Stepanova and the curator of their archive. Lavrentievs text is accompanied by excerpts from Stepanovas own diary, with its fresh insights and lively commentary on Soviet art, and a memoir by her daughter. But the real discovery is the 370 illustrations, 45 in color, nearly all of which are published here for the first time, which reveal an artist startling in her accomplishments.Like Rodchenko, Stepanova was among the founders of Constructivism, a contributor to the famous Moscow 5 x 5 25 exhibition held in 1921, and significant in shaping Russians visual culture during the turbulent years following the revolution. Lavrentiev covers every aspect of Stepanovas production against the complex background of the period. A hardcover with dust jacket. Russian and European Avant Garde Art Books and Collectibles.