Alexander Rodchenko

After studying at the Kazan School of Fine Arts, Rodchenko continued his training in Moscow. In 1914 he met Varvara Stepanova, who became his lifelong partner and collaborator. In Moscow he encountered Vladimir Tatlin and Kazimir Malevich, whose work influenced his artistic development, while a 1914 performance by Russian Futurists David Burliuk and Vasily Kamensky, alongside Vladimir Mayakovsky, strengthened his interest in avant-garde experimentation. Following the Russian Revolution, he produced abstract works, including the Black on Black series. He worked in the visual arts section of the Soviet People's Commissariat for Education, IZO Narkompros, alongside other avant-garde artists. In 1921 he embraced Productivism, advocating art as a means of design and construction. After producing his monochrome panels, he abandoned painting to explore three-dimensional objects, architectural design, photography and theatre design. He collaborated with Mayakovsky and contributed to the magazines LEF and Novyi LEF. As Stalin's cultural policies took hold and Socialist Realism became the official doctrine, Rodchenko's work faced increasing criticism for its formalism. He increasingly turned to photography and graphic design, continuing to work in these fields until his death in 1956.

Kazimir Maljevič / Varvara Stepanova / Vladimir Tatlin