Aleksandr Rodchenko

About the Artist

Aleksandr Rodchenko. Untitled (Self-Portrait with Poster for Battleship Potemkin). c. 1925. Gelatin silver print, 3 3/4 x 4 9/16" (9.6 x 11.6 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of The Judith Rothschild Foundation
Alternate Name(s) Алекса́ндр Ро́дченко (Alternate Name)
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (Birth Name)

Meeting Points

Cultural Hubs Moscow
Photo Industry Hubs Dresden
Moscow
Schools VKhUTEMAS, 1920–30
Exhibitions Film und Foto, 1929
Fotomontage, 1931
Ten Years of Soviet Photography, 1928
Publications Sovetskoe foto, 1926–39
Novyi lef, 1927–28

Artist Chronology

December 5, 1891	Born At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Saint Petersburg
September 1910–June 1914	Studies in the department of figurative arts at the Kazan School of Fine Arts At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Kazan
October 1915	Enrolls in the graphic department of the Stroganov School of Applied Art At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
March 1916	His compass-and-ruler drawings are included in the exhibition Magasin, organized by Vladimir Tatlin Participant: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
Spring 1916–December 1917	Serves in the army as operations manager of a hospital train At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
Spring 1917	Exhibition of Works by Rodchenko 1910–1917, his first solo exhibition Participant: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
September 1919–October 1920	Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova move into Vasily Kandinsky's apartment At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
November 1920–mid-1930	Teaches Construction at VKhUTEMAS At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
1922	Erste Russische Kunstausstellung at Galerie Van Diemen & Co. Organizer: El Lissitzky Participant: Aleksandr Rodchenko, Gustav Klutsis	Berlin
1922	Appointed dean of the faculty of metalworking at VKhUTEMAS At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
December 1923	László Moholy-Nagy invites Aleksandr Rodchenko to write a brochure on Constructivism for the Bauhaus At location: László Moholy-Nagy Affiliated: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Weimar
1924	Makes series of six portraits of Mayakovsky using a 9 x 12 cm plate camera These are the earliest remaining photographs by Rodchenko. At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
March 20, 1925	Arrives in Berlin en route to Paris At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Berlin
Summer 1925	Aleksandr Rodchenko buys a 4 x 6.5 cm Ica plate camera and two 35mm Sept cameras, one of which is for Dziga Vertov At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko Affiliated: Dziga Vertov	Paris
April 25–October 25, 1925	Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes Organizer: Aleksandr Rodchenko, Gustav Klutsis	Paris
1927	Photographs extensively in Moscow for the film Moscow in October, comissioned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
1927	Exhibits photographs for the first time in a show organized by Odsk (Society of the Friends of Soviet Cinema) Participant: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
1928	Ten Years of Soviet Photography at the State Academy of Artistic Sciences Exhibition was also mounted in St. Petersburg Participant: Aleksandr Rodchenko, Semyon Fridlyand, Roman Karmen	Moscow
1928	Umbo sends six photographs to Rodchenko for Novy Lef; two photograms are published At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko Contributor: Umbo (Otto Umbehr)	Moscow
January 3, 1928	Alfred H. Barr, Jr., and Jere Abbott visit Aleksandr Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova in their studio/apartment At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
November 14, 1928	Delivers the lecture "On the New Photography of the Photo-Lef" at the State Academy of Artistic Sciences At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
November 25, 1928	Purchases a Leica camera At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
May 18–July 7, 1929	Internationale Ausstellung des Deutschen Werkbunds Film und Foto (FiFo) at Städtische Ausstellungshallen Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich August 28–September 22, 1929 Im Lichthof des Ehemaligen Kunstgewerbemuseums, Prinz-Albrechs-Strasse 7, Berlin October 19–November 17, 1929 Stadtmuseum, Danzig (dates unknown) Österreichisches Museum, Vienna February 20–March 31, 1930 Agram, Zagreb April 5–14, 1930 Münchner Bund/Verein Ausstellungspark München E.V. (as part of Internationale Ausstellung. Das Lichtbild), Munich June 5–September 7, 1930 Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo April 1931 Asahi Shimbun, Osaka July 1–7, 1931 Participant: Berenice Abbott, Herbert Bayer, Aenne Biermann, Anton Bruehl, Francis Bruguière, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, Helmar Lerski, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Lucia Moholy, Werner Rohde, George Hoyningen-Huene, Gustav Klutsis, Karl Blossfeldt, Heinz Loew, Erich Comeriner, Semyon Fridlyand, Roman Karmen, Eli Lotar, Oskar Nerlinger, Robert Petschow, Sasha Stone, Dziga Vertov, Yva (Else Simon), Willy Zielke, Irene Bayer-Hecht, Hans Finsler, Cami Stone Organizer: El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter, Edward Steichen, Edward Weston, Dziga Vertov Visitor: Alexander Hackenschmied	Stuttgart
1930–41	El Lissitzky, Seymon Fridlyand, Aleksandr Rodchenko, and Roman Karmen contribute to the periodical USSR in Construction Contributor: El Lissitzky, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Semyon Fridlyand, Roman Karmen	Moscow
1930	Lectures on photography to directors of photography clubs at the Institute for Graphic Design and the Association of Photo-Reporters At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
March 1930	Exhibition of the photographic section of Oktiabr (October Group) led by Rodchenko Participant: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
1931	Begins lecturing on photography at Soiuzfoto Agency At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
1931	Exhibition with the photographic section of Oktiabr (October Group) at the Press-House Participant: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
April 25–May 31, 1931	Fotomontage at Staatliche Kunstbibliothek Participant: Herbert Bayer, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, Raoul Hausmann, El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Gustav Klutsis, Oskar Nerlinger Organizer: César Domela-Nieuwenhuis	Berlin
1932	Makes photo-vitrines for Dynamo Stadium At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
1932	Signs a one-year contract to supply a minimum of 40 photographs per month for Igoziz, the State Publishing House for Art At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
1932	Teaches a course on photography at the Institute of Graphic Design At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
Spring 1935	Juror for the Exhibition of the Work of Masters of Soviet Photography, organized by the Professional Union of Photo-Cine Workers At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
March 2–April 19, 1936	Cubism and Abstract Art at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Herbert Bayer, Constantin Brancusi, Francis Bruguière, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, Lyonel Feininger, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter, Aleksandr Rodchenko	New York
March 6–April 13, 1936	Mezinárodní Výstava Fotografie at Mánes Participant: Raoul Hausmann, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Alexander Hackenschmied, Jaroslava Hatláková, Edmund Kesting, František Vobecký	Prague
1939	Max Penson and Aleksandr Rodchenko photograph the construction of the Grand Fergana Canal The canal was built by hand by 160,000 workers in forty-five days. The event draws many avant-garde photographers At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko, Max Penson	Fergana
1941–September 1942	The Rodchenko family is evacuated to Molotov At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Molotov
July 15–28, 1941	Abstract Painting: Shapes of Things at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Lyonel Feininger, Aleksandr Rodchenko	New York
Beginning in 1942	Designs photographic exhibitions for the Soviet Bureau of Information At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow
December 3, 1956	Dies At location: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Moscow