Alexander Rodchenko

(Russian, 1891–1956)

Alexander Rodchenko was a founding member of Russian Constructivism—the avant-garde movement characterized by unembellished abstraction— along with Vladimir Tatlin. He was known for his politically motivated photography, posters, paintings, and sculpture. “The avant-garde of Communist culture is obligated to show how and what needs to be photographed,” he said of the medium. “What to shoot—is something every photo group knows but how to shoot—only a few know.”Born on November 23, 1891 in St. Petersburg, Russia, he studied drawing and painting at the Kazan School of Fine Arts and architecture at the Stroganov School of Applied Art. An early influence came from Kazimir Malevich, whose Suprematist style contributed to Rodchenko’s adoption of an austere aesthetic and use of materials. In the late 1920s, he joined the October group, with members Diego Rivera, Gustav Klutsis, and Sergei Eisenstein, furthering his commitment to creating art for the working classes. Rodchenko died on December 3, 1956 in Moscow, Soviet Union. Today, his works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others.