Artist of the Day, November 8, 2023: Alexander Archipenko, an Ukrainian-American artist, sculptor, graphic designer (Avant-Garde) (#1952)

 Alexander Archipenko (1887– 1964) was a Ukrainian-American avant-garde artist, sculptor, and graphic artist, active in France and the United States. He was one of the first to apply the principles of Cubism to architecture, analyzing human figure into geometrical forms.

Alexander Archipenko was born in Kyiv (Russian Empire, now Ukraine) in 1887, he was the younger brother of Eugene Archipenko.

From 1902 to 1905 he attended the Kyiv Art School (KKhU). In 1906 he continued his education in the arts at Serhiy Svetoslavsky (Kyiv), and later that year had an exhibition there with Alexander Bogomazov. He then moved to Moscow where he had a chance to exhibit his work in some group shows.

Archipenko moved to Paris in 1908 and quickly enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts, which he left after a few weeks. He was a resident in the artist's colony La Ruche, among émigré Ukrainian artists: Wladimir Baranoff-Rossine, Sonia Delaunay-Terk and Nathan Altman. After 1910 he had exhibitions at Salon des Indépendants, Salon d'Automne together with Aleksandra Ekster, Kazimir Malevich, Vadym Meller, Sonia Delaunay-Terk, Georges Braque, André Derain and others.

In 1912, Archipenko had his first personal exhibition at the Museum Folkwang at Hagen in Germany, and from 1912 to 1914 he was teaching at his own Art School in Paris.

Four of Archipenko's Cubist sculptures, including Family Life and five of his drawings, appeared in the controversial Armory Show in 1913 in New York City. These works were caricatured in the New York World.

Archipenko moved to Nice in 1914. In 1920 he participated in Twelfth Biennale Internazionale dell'Arte di Venezia in Italy and started his own Art school in Berlin the following year. In 1922 Archipenko participated in the First Russian Art Exhibition in the Gallery van Diemen in Berlin together with Aleksandra Ekster, Kazimir Malevich, Solomon Nikritin, El Lissitzky and others.

In 1923, he emigrated to the United States. He became a US citizen in 1929. In 1933 he exhibited at the Ukrainian pavilion in Chicago as part of the Century of Progress World's Fair. Alexander Archipenko contributed the most to the success of the Ukrainian pavilion. His works occupied one room and were valued at $25,000 dollars.

In 1936 Archipenko participated in an exhibition Cubism and Abstract Art in New York as well as numerous exhibitions in Europe and other places in the U.S. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1962.

Alexander Archipenko died in New York City. He is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City.

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Alexander Archipenko

Alexander Archipenko

Woman (Sadness, Head on Knee), Ca. 1909

Venus, Ca. 1910–11

Dancers, Ca.1912

La Vie Familiale (Family Life), Ca. 1912

The Hero, Ca. 1912

Untitled, Ca. 1912

Roter Tanz (Danse rouge, Blue Dancer), Ca. 1912–13

Carrousel Pierrot, Ca. 1913

 Flat Torso, Ca. 1914

Woman combing her hair, Ca. 1914

Statuette, Ca. 1916

Vase Woman, Ca. 1918

Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Falk, Ca. 1919

Reclining Torso, Ca. 1921-22

Reclining, Ca. 1921-22

Seated Figure, Ca. 1938

Yellow and Black, Ca. 1938

Black and White Dancer, Ca. 1942

 Tartar Woman, Ca. 1942

Seated Figure, Ca. 1947

Gateway Sculptures, Ca. 1950

Revolving Figure, Ca. 1956

 Statuette, Ca. 1959

Kimono, Ca. 1961

Linear Oriental, Ca. 1961

 Queen of Sheba, Ca. 1961

193 King Solomon, Ca. 1963

Birth of Venus, Ca.  1954

King Solomon