Archipenko, Alexander

Archipenko, Alexander
born May 30, 1887, Kiev, Ukr.
died Feb. 25, 1964, New York, N.Y., U.S.

Ukrainian-U.S. sculptor.

In 1908 he moved to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts, and he soon became active in radical circles such as the Cubist movement. He began to explore the interplay between interlocking voids and solids and between convex and concave surfaces, forming a sculptural equivalent to Cubist paintings' overlapping planes and, in the process, revolutionizing modern sculpture. About 1912 he introduced the concept of collage in sculpture, and he went on to further defy tradition in his "sculpto-paintings," works in which he introduced painted colour to the intersecting planes of his sculpture. In 1923 he moved to New York City, where he worked and taught for most of his life.

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▪ Ukrainian-American artist
born May 30, 1887, Kiev, Ukraine [then Russian Empire]
died February 25, 1964, New York, New York, U.S.
 Ukrainian-American artist best known for his original, Cubist (Cubism)-inspired sculptural style.

      After studying in Kiev, in 1908 Archipenko briefly attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, but he quickly abandoned formal studies to become part of more radical circles, especially the Cubist movement. He began to explore the interplay between interlocking voids and solids and between convex and concave surfaces, forming a sculptural equivalent to Cubist paintings' overlapping planes and, in the process, revolutionizing modern sculpture. In his bronze sculpture Walking Woman (1912), for example, he pierced holes in the face and torso of the figure and substituted concavities for the convexities of the lower legs. The abstract shapes of his works have a monumentality and rhythmic movement that also reflect contemporary interest in the arts of Africa.

      As he developed his style, Archipenko achieved an incredible sense of vitality out of minimal means: in works such as Boxing Match (1913), he conveyed the raw, brutal energy of the sport in nonrepresentational, machinelike cubic and ovoid forms. About 1912, inspired by the Cubist collages of Georges Braque (Braque, Georges) and Pablo Picasso (Picasso, Pablo), Archipenko introduced the concept of collage in sculpture in his famous Medrano series, depictions of circus figures in multicoloured glass, wood, and metal that defy traditional use of materials and definitions of sculpture. During that same period he further defied tradition in his “sculpto-paintings,” works in which he introduced painted colour to the intersecting planes of his sculpture.

      Archipenko taught art briefly in Berlin from 1921 to 1923. He worked as an art teacher for the rest of his life in New York City, except for a short time (1937–39) when he was connected with the New Bauhaus in Chicago. He continued to make sculptures, although he never again achieved the success and influence of his Cubist years.

Additional Reading
A good contemporary examination of the artist's work is Hans Hildebrandt, Alexandre Archipenko: son oeuvre (1923). Essential examinations of his work can also be found in Donald Karshan (ed.), Archipenko: International Visionary (1969); and Donald Karshan, Archipenko: The Sculpture and Graphic Art, Including a Print Catalogue Raisonné (1974), and Archipenko: Sculpture, Drawings, and Prints, 1908–1963 (1985). Other useful studies include Joan Marter and Nicholas J. Capasso, Archipenko: Drawings, Reliefs, and Constructions (1985); and Katherine Jánszky Michaelsen and Nehama Guralnik, Alexander Archipenko: A Centennial Tribute (1986).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Archipenko,Alexander Porfirievich — Ar·chi·pen·ko (är kə pĕngʹkō), Alexander Porfirievich. 1887 1964. Russian born American sculptor noted for his cubist and purely abstract works, such as Dual (1955). * * * …   Universalium

  • Archipenko, Alexander — ► (1887 1964) Escultor ruso. Su formación en París le puso en contacto con el cubismo, dadaísmo y surrealismo. Su interés predominante se centra en la figura humana. Una de sus obras más famosas es Pierrot Carrousel. Otras obras suyas son Combate …   Enciclopedia Universal

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  • Alexander Arkhipenko — Alexander Archipenko Voller Name Alexander Wassiljewitsch Archipenko Nation  Russland …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Archipenko — Alexander Archipenko Alexander Archipenko Alexander Archipenko est un sculpteur américain d origine ukrainienne, né à Kiev en 1887 et mort à New York en 1964. Il se forme à la peinture et à la sculpture à Kiev et à Moscou. En 1908 il s installe à …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Alexander Archipenko — est un sculpteur américain d origine ukrainienne, né à Kiev en 1887 et mort à New York le 25 février 1964. Il se forme à la peinture et à la sculpture à Kiev et à Moscou. En 1908 il s installe à Paris où il entre en contact avec les courants d… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Alexander — Alexander, Christopher Alexander, islas de Alexander, sir Harold * * * (as used in expressions) William Alexander Abbott Agassiz, Alexander (Emmanuel Rodolphe) Alexander, archipiélago Alexander, Harold (Rupert Leofric George) Alexander, 1 conde… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Archipenko — (Alexander) (1887 1964) sculpteur américain d orig. ukrainienne; cubiste …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • alexander — /al ig zan deuhr, zahn /, n. (often cap.) a cocktail made with crème de cacao with gin or brandy (brandy alexander) and sweet cream. [1925 30; prob. after the proper name] * * * (as used in expressions) Agassiz Alexander Emmanuel Rodolphe… …   Universalium

  • Alexander — /al ig zan deuhr, zahn /, n. 1. See Alexander the Great. 2. Also, Alexandros. Class. Myth. Homeric name for Paris. 3. Franz /frants, franz, frahnts/, 1891 1964, U.S. psychoanalyst, born in Hungary. 4. Grover Cleveland …   Universalium

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