Non-linear Perspective, Broken Traditions of Camera Angles and a Revolutionary Approach to Photography: Alexander Rodchenko at the Lumiere Brothers Photography Center
by Anna Shabashova and Sveta Maximova
If you want to visit an exhibition that is not overloaded by people taking selfies at each exhibit, Alexander Rodchenko's exposition is for you! The exhibition will appeal to you in many ways. Visitors can plunge into the history of the 1930-40s photography and look at the most significant works of that time.
The minimalistic style of the hall makes people concentrate on the main subject of the exhibition – Rodchenko's recognizable photography style. He is known for his unusual portraits and street photos, which is why the exposition is divided into two parts: portraits and pictures. Entering the exhibition hall, visitors get in the room with portraits. They can see photos of Vladimir Mayakovsky, Lilya and Osip Brik, his wife Varvara Stepanova and other influential people in the 20th century art.
The second room is full of pictures that require closer observation and consideration. Rodchenko is known as a master of geometry, lights and authentic compositions, so you will be impressed with his view on ordinary things. Stairs, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, buildings and even common home stuff… The Rodchenko's world is like ours but different at the same time.
The second room is full of pictures that require closer observation and consideration. Rodchenko is known as a master of geometry, lights and authentic compositions, so you will be impressed with his view on ordinary things. Stairs, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, buildings and even common home stuff… The Rodchenko's world is like ours but different at the same time.
photo by Sveta Maximova
"Rodchenko came up with the shooting methods that are still used nowadays around the world," says Igor Anisimov, a lecturer of the MSU Department of Photojournalism and Media Technologies. "Rodchenko's approach, his vision and the angles that he chooses distinguish him from other photographers of that time. Looking at his photographs, you won't notice any standard photography angles. He was criticized a lot for this."
| Rodchenko was exploring how street geometry intertwined with life. For example, one of his most famous photographs was taken on the steps of the stairs in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Kropotkinskaya Embankment. In this photo you can see a woman climbing the stairs with a child in her arms. Her figure appears to overcome the powerful rhythmic field of black and white stripes of the steps. The diagonal composition of the frame enhances the constructive-graphic impression of the picture. Photo: https://www.mos.ru/ |
His famous work "Pioneer trumpeter" depicts a Soviet boy with a trumpet. Rodchenko uses the angle from below, so the boy acquires some bourgeois features. It was not customary to shoot like that. "This shooting point gives us a sense of development, dynamics, which was used for shooting construction sites, for example," Igor Anisimov explains. "Photographers meticulously selected the angle of shooting, set the perspective, chose angles. With Rodchenko it's all deliberated, he broke the rules. This was his queerness."
https://brightmagazine.ru
Having witnessed lots of political imbalances, Rodchenko tended to reflect crucial problems in different aspects of social life through his lens. "Every new vision gives rise to a revolution," he said, adding that photography was an ideal tool for him to speak about urgent questions. The photographer was a member of Left Front of the Arts (shortly called "LEF"), a widely ranging association of avant-garde artists who were representatives of revolutionary art. Osip Brik, a Russian writer and literary critic, was one of them, too. His portrait made by Rodchenko is a good example of LEF's revolutionary spirit. In this photo Osip Brik's glasses are not just a common accessory, they are the program declaration of the association that fought against traditional artistic approaches, creating new forms of art.
https://diletant.media
Alexander Rodchenko was an outstanding artist of the Russian avant-garde. His experiments have forever changed the history of photography and determined its development for decades to come. Even nowadays, a hundred years later, his works still catch our imagination and make us think about immortality of art.
Alexander Rodchenko exhibition can be visited the Lumiere Brothers photography center until June, 14.
Alexander Rodchenko exhibition can be visited the Lumiere Brothers photography center until June, 14.
Photo by Sveta Maximova
