Alexander Rodchenko Constructivist Artist

Alexander Rodchenko was a post revolutionary Constructivist artist in the early 20th Century Russia. During the time Rodchenko contributed a lot to the constructivist movement and became a crucial and influential Figure.Rodchenko was highly influenced the Futurist style.

Alexander Rodchenko

 Dance. An Objectless Composition, 1915

Before all this Rodchenko started his career as a fine art student were adhered to a Futurist style. After the revolution ended he moved to Moscow and enrolled in a Graphic Design school where he abandoned the futurist style and adopted an abstract and highly geometric aesthetic. Whilst he was in Moscow he also starting experimenting with collages and photomontage. After he started using these new media techniques he gave up painting and considered it no longer a means and replaced it with the new technique of photomontage. 

Photomontage was something he used frequently in his designs which range from furniture design, typography, poster and book deign. He believed that this technique better communicated the Soviet Union’s message. 

Lengiz books in all branches of knowledge 1925

Advertising poster for the state airline Dobrolet 1923,

Back Cover of the book
 "Conversation with the Finance Inspector About Poetry"
by Mayakovsky 1926
 Alexander Rodchenko
Photo montage

       


Rodchenko became an important figure in the movement and now started creating his own photography and received many graphic design commissions for book covers and posters. He became the principal designer for the magazine Lef, a publication for the Lef group, a group of avant-garde writers and intellects associated with the poet, Vladimir Mayakovsky. Mayakovsky’s poem “Pro eto” was accompanied by photo collage illustrations done by Rodchenko. He was soon doing all of Mayakovsky’s book covers.

The main characteristic of his work was the use of geometric elements including lines and shapes. This gave his work a very precise, symmetrical 2 dimensional compositions. He also made use of typography mainly sans serif font which are always present in his work making use of a limited colour palette (4 being the max) making use of mainly red, white, black and grey. All these elements will be combined with imagery using the photomontage technique. Rodchenko’s made constructivism what it is and provided a great contribution elements and methods for future graphic design to follow.

References

http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/constructivism/
http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4975
http://aleksandrodchenko.wordpress.com/

The Thames and Hudson
Dictionary of Graphic design and Designers
1992-98 Thames and Hudson Ltd, London
UK