Alexander Rodchenko through the lens of Nation & State

Design and consumer culture are closely interconnected. Living in a capitalist society, it can be challenging to imagine design outside the framework of capitalism and consumerism. This forms the basis of my interest and research into Russian constructivism, particularly the work of designer Alexander Rodchenko. I chose to examine Alexander Rodchenko because of his iconic style as well as his role as a designer and artist in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), a communist state.

Early life and artistic formation

Alexander Rodchenko was born in 1891 in Saint Petersburg to working-class parents. His father was a theatre caretaker and his mother a washerwoman. Rodchenko began studying at the Kazan School of Art in 1910, graduating in 1914. This is also where Rodchenko met his lifelong collaborator and wife, Varvara Stepanova, who was also an artist and creator in her own right.¹ Around the same time Rodchenko entered art school, the first neo-primitivist works were exhibited in Russia. In the following years, there was a surge in Russian avant-garde exhibitions, groups, and publications.²

Revolution and the role of the state

Following the October Revolution in 1917, most artistic groups were either dismantled or temporarily disbanded. Artists whom the public and critics had previously persecuted for their progressive work were now praised.³ This shift has been attributed to the organisation IZO Narkompros, which was the visual arts section of the People's Commissariat for Enlightenment. Politician and writer Anatoly Lunacharsky directed the organisation. Later, the organisation became part of the communist apparatus owned by the state.⁴ Avant-garde artists like Tatlin and Malevich shaped the foundation of the visual arts department. Rodchenko eventually started working within the arts department of Narkompros and would actively promote the constructivist style.⁵ Although Rodchenko worked for Narkompros, he did so somewhat hesitantly, entrusting his skills only to the administration.⁶ Narkompros would establish the Institute of Artistic Culture, also known as Inkhuk, an institution focused on establishing theoretical principles for the scientific basis of art creation.⁷

Aesthetic principles and philosophy

Rodchenko would often try to reduce the amount of self-expression in his works by using tools like a compass and ruler. This was on the basis that Rodchenko sought to replace self-expression in art with production art.⁸ This transition from suprematism and investigation into the construction of pictures eventually led to Rodchenko ultimately pronouncing painting dead.⁹ After this, Rodchenko and some of his collaborators abandoned traditional painting in its entirety and shifted their focus towards industrial design, among other things.

The constructivist style would be developed over multiple years, starting as non-objective art. Throughout these years, Rodchenko would experiment with space and material through the medium of sculpture or construction. He would create a three-dimensional counterpart to two-dimensional paintings. In these projects, he would experiment with line, which would later become a key part of his constructivist style. Disagreements with Inkhuk eventually led to the formation of the group First Working Group of Constructivists.¹⁰ This is seen as the formal start of the constructivist movement.

Rodchenko’s work is characterised by bold and striking visuals. He most often used the colours red, white, grey and black, staying away from more emotive colours in his work. ¹¹ His works have a sense of directness and clarity that makes them instantly recognisable and leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.

Line and form were also key parts of Rodchenko’s work. Using a ruler and compass, his work exhibits refined geometric shapes. By using line and geometric form, Rodchenko is purposefully flattening his work, not trying to create a sense of space.¹² Though Rodchenko is not trying to create a sense of space with his lines and forms, he uses diagonals heavily, creating a sense of movement.

Typography was heavily used in Rodchenko’s work to convey the message of the posters he made. His typography could be placed horizontally, vertically, and even diagonally. Fonts used by Rodchenko and fellow constructivists were often bold, geometric and sans-serif. Together with Vertov, Rodchenko designed the typography for the movie poster for Kino-Pravda.¹³

Photography and photomontage were an integral part of his work. His photography was frequently taken from unusual angles. Rodchenko employed this technique to create a new visual world, diverging from the traditional photographic compositions that audiences were accustomed to.¹⁴ Rodchenko advocated the use of photography rather than illustration in his work, often using collage in combination with larger coloured geometric shapes and lines. Examples of this can be seen in the advertisement poster Lengiz, Books from all branches of knowledge.

Constructivism as a Product of the State

One could argue that Russian constructivism was a product or extension of the Russian avant-garde movement, which became even more solidified after the revolution. Rodchenko asserted that the progressive leftist artists aligned with the Bolsheviks during the October Revolution, believing they could shape the outcome of the new world after the revolution.¹⁵ Alexander Rodchenko had always considered himself a leftist since his early days studying at the Kazan School of Art. However, his involvement in revolutionary ideas and the avant-garde did not occur until later in his career.¹⁶

In the avant-garde spaces, constructivism was not considered as a style, but rather a method of creating. Construction and constructivism were not only tied to one type of art but also invited lots of different branches of the creative arts. Construction was a method of doing something; therefore, you could apply it to most things: architecture, painting, sculpture, and even music, to name a few. It was all based on the same concept of construction.¹⁷ The common goal of constructivists was to move away from art as a form of illusory images and move more towards the construction of art.¹⁸ This often took the form of non-representational art. Alexei Gan categorised constructivism into three main aspects of material: Tectonic, faktura and construction. Tectonic, utilising industrial materials for what they are best suited for and respecting their natural properties, would lead to new artistic expressions. Faktura was a new expressive quality created by allowing materials to express their natural properties, without compromising the product's construction. Construction was the act of giving form to the material.¹⁹