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Aleksei Mikhailovich Gan (
/ref> or 1893 – 8 September, 1942) was a Russian anarchist and later Marxist avant-garde artist, art theorist and graphic designer. Gan was a key figure in the development of
Gan's involvement with creative activity began in 1917 when he became involved with the Moscow Union of Food Workers with whom he set up an amateur theatrical group. The group encompassed various political groupings and following the Bolshevik seizure of power, some joined the
MOMA page on Gan.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gan, Aleksei Constructivism (art) Russian designers 19th-century births 1942 deaths Year of birth uncertain Russian Marxists Russian anarchists Soviet anarchists
Aleksei Mikhailovich Gan (Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: Алексей Михайлович Ган; born Imberkh; 1887Kristin Romberg, Aleksei Gan's Constructivism, 1917-1928. New York: Columbia University, 2010, Ph.D. Dissertation./ref> or 1893 – 8 September, 1942) was a Russian anarchist and later Marxist avant-garde artist, art theorist and graphic designer. Gan was a key figure in the development of
Constructivism
Constructivism may refer to:
Art and architecture
* Constructivism (art), an early 20th-century artistic movement that extols art as a practice for social purposes
* Constructivist architecture, an architectural movement in Russia in the 1920s a ...
after the Russian Revolution.
Life
Gan's involvement with creative activity began in 1917 when he became involved with the Moscow Union of Food Workers with whom he set up an amateur theatrical group. The group encompassed various political groupings and following the Bolshevik seizure of power, some joined the Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
, others the Black Guards
Black Guards (russian: Чёрная гвардия, ) were armed groups of workers formed after the February Revolution and before the final Bolshevik suppression of other leftwing groups. They were the main strike force of the anarchists. They ...
or affiliated to the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries
The Party of Left Socialist-Revolutionaries (russian: Партия левых социалистов-революционеров-интернационалистов) was a revolutionary socialist political party formed during the Russian Rev ...
. Gan reorganised the group as the Proletarian Theatre, which affiliated to the Moscow Federation of Anarchist Groups
The Moscow Federation of Anarchist Groups (MFAG) was a network of anarchist groups established in Moscow in 1917. They occupied the Merchants' House shortly after the February Revolution. They published ''Anarkhiia'', weekly after its launch in S ...
.
Gan was the first to write on art in the anarchist newspaper ''Anarkhiia
''Anarkhiia'' was Russian weekly, then daily newspaper published by the Moscow Federation of Anarchist Groups. It was edited by Vladimir Barmash, Abba Gordin, German Askarov, Pyotr Arshinov, Lev Chernyi and others. It was first launched in Septe ...
'' (Anarchy) when it introduced an art section in early 1918.
In March 1921, Gan was one of the seven artists, including Alexander Rodchenko
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (russian: link=no, Алекса́ндр Миха́йлович Ро́дченко; – 3 December 1956) was a Russian and Soviet artist, sculptor, photographer, and graphic designer. He was one of the founders ...
and his wife Varvara Stepanova
Varvara Fyodorovna Stepanova (russian: Варва́ра Фёдоровна Степа́нова; – May 20, 1958) was a Russian artist. With her husband Alexander Rodchenko, she was associated with the Constructivist branch of the Russian avant ...
, who announced themselves as the First Working Group of Constructivists. The group rejected fine art in favour of graphic design, photography, posters, and political propaganda. Gan collaborated with Aleksandr Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova
Varvara Fyodorovna Stepanova (russian: Варва́ра Фёдоровна Степа́нова; – May 20, 1958) was a Russian artist. With her husband Alexander Rodchenko, she was associated with the Constructivist branch of the Russian avant ...
on a Constructivist manifesto in 1922, and published his own pamphlet ''Konstruktivism'' in the same year. He also founded the first Soviet film journal, '' Kino-Fot'' (or ''Kinofot''), in 1922.
In 1928 he was one of the founders of the October Group.
He married Esfir Shub, a prominent female soviet documentary filmmaker.
Gan was arrested for "counter-revolutionary" activities in October 1941, found guilty in August 1942, and executed on 8 September 1942.
Selected works
Written
*''Konstruktivizm'' (Constructivism). Tver: Tver'skoe izdatel' stvo, 1923.Films
*''The Island of the Young Pioneers'', 1924. (Documentary) *''The Seventh October'', *''Trades Unions'' *''Greetings Teamworkers'' *''In the Battle for Time and Space'' (unknown whether completed)See also
*Productivism (art)
Productivism is an early twentieth-century art movement that is characterized by its spare geometry, limited color palette, and Cubist and Futurist influences. Aesthetically, it also looks similar to work by Kazimir Malevich and the Suprematists. ...
References
Further reading
* *External links
MOMA page on Gan.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gan, Aleksei Constructivism (art) Russian designers 19th-century births 1942 deaths Year of birth uncertain Russian Marxists Russian anarchists Soviet anarchists