Alexander Archipenko

Ukrainian modernist sculptor, painter, and pedagogue Alexander Archipenko exerted a seminal influence on 20th-century avant-garde sculpture. He introduced himself to the modern art scene through a series of pioneering small-scale works, the first to apply Cubist techniques to three-dimensional forms. Archipenko gained renown for his experiments in "sculpto-paintings," a fusion of sculpture and painting.

Biography of Alexander Archipenko

Alexander (also reffered as Olexandr) Porfyrovych Arkhypenko was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, to Porfiry Antonowitsch and Poroskowia Wassiliewna Machowa. His father, a professor of engineering at the University of Kyiv and an inventor, provided financial stability for the family through his invention—a furnace that purified noxious factory fumes. This instilled in Archipenko the belief that the "artist's most precious faculty is invention." During his childhood, he was surrounded by images of Byzantine culture, painted icons, and murals created by his grandfather.

In 1902, Archipenko commenced his studies in painting and sculpture at the School of Art in Kyiv, known for its academicism. Because of the school's emphasis on tradition, Archipenko, drawn to radical experimentation, faced expulsion in 1905 for criticizing the conservatism of his instructors. That same year, he created his initial sculptures, already demonstrating a penchant for form and color experimentation by painting his sculptures in hues unrelated to the subjects of the work.

Archipenko relocated to Paris in 1908 and swiftly enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts. Unhappy with the school's approach, he departed after a few weeks, opting for independent study at his own pace. Rejecting both academicism and the prevalent sculptural styles represented by Auguste Rodin in Paris, Archipenko chose to forge his style, which he based his development on direct studies from a diverse range of examples observed during visits to the Louvre, where he drew inspiration from Egyptian, Assyrian, and early Greek sculpture. Beyond the Louvre, he spent numerous afternoons at the Trocadéro (the Parisian ethnographic museum), absorbing and drawing inspiration from art spanning various cultures worldwide.

During this period, the artist established his studio in Montparnasse, near Fernand Léger, with whom he developed a close friendship. Archipenko frequented La Ruche, the artist's colony in Montparnasse, where he encountered other avant-garde luminaries such as Amedeo Modigliani, Guillaume Apollinaire, Blaise Cendrars, and Maurice Raynal.

Apollinaire, an influential figure in the development and propagation of Cubism, was an early supporter of Archipenko and frequently wrote about his work. Through Léger, he connected with artists like Robert Delaunay, Albert Gleizes, Jean Metzinger, and Henri Le Fauconnier. In a few years, he became part of a group centered around Jacques Villon, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, and Marcel Duchamp.

In 1912, Archipenko actively engaged in experimenting with new materials and techniques. During this year, he inaugurated his first art school in Paris and joined the Section d'Or group, also known as the Patteaux group, comprising many of the previously mentioned artists. Although loosely affiliated, the group, which garnered support from Francis Picabia, Juan Gris, and Robert Delaunay, operated between 1912 and 1914. It advocated for the virtues of mathematical proportions in art, echoing the ancient concept of the "golden section" (Section d'Or). While the group shared the Cubist concern with geometric compositions, only Villon and Gris steadfastly adhered to its principles. In 1912, the group exhibited at the Galerie la Boétie in Paris and published a short-lived magazine, "La Section d'Or."

Archipenko exhibited with the Salon Cubists, a group that expanded on the more intimate "brown" works of Picasso and Braque, producing large-scale, vividly colored art. Their inaugural public exhibition at the 1910 Salon des Indépendants was followed by a second exhibition at the Salon d'Automne a year later.

The years 1913 and 1914 marked some of Archipenko's most creative periods. His radical experimentation resulted in numerous innovations, placing him at the forefront of the avant-garde. Notable developments included his use of polychrome, sculptural reliefs and constructions, and the substitution of solids for voids.

The artist's work garnered early critical acclaim, leading to inclusion in significant exhibitions, including the Armory Show in New York in 1913. This exhibition, also known as the International Exhibition of Modern Art, caused a sensation and transformed the American public's perception of beauty in art. It introduced the phrase "avant-garde" to describe painting and sculpture to the American audience, and Archipenko's work was featured alongside that of European masters such as van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse, and Duchamp. Simultaneously, Archipenko produced his first prints, which were reproduced in the Italian Futurist publication "Lacerba" in 1914.

In August 1914, the outbreak of World War I prompted several Paris-based artists to relocate to the South of France. Archipenko spent the subsequent four years in Cimiez, near Nice, residing at Château Valrose. During his time in Cimiez, Archipenko faced challenges as he lacked access to a studio and the necessary materials for his sculptures. Consequently, he devoted much of his time to working on "sculpto-paintings," a technique he had invented in 1912 that utilized more readily available materials like papier-mâché, glass, wood, or metal. 

After the war, Archipenko returned to Paris, aiming to build on his early success. His work was featured at the Venice Biennale in 1920, and the following year, he held his inaugural solo exhibition in New York at the Société Anonyme. In 1921, he moved to Berlin, where he established another art school and married Expressionist sculptor Angelica Schmitz. His artistic style underwent a transition to a more naturalistic approach during his time in Berlin, a shift that received less enthusiastic reviews from critics.

Archipenko's later career was marked not only by his sculptural work but also by his dedication to teaching. Upon his arrival in New York City in 1923, he founded an art school, followed the next year by the initiation of an annual summer art program in Woodstock, New York, which continued until his passing.

In 1927, he invented and patented the Archipentura, a mechanical system designed for applying paint to small strips of canvas that could be manipulated to create a complete image. This invention aligned with his belief that art should capture the dynamism of modern life. During the 1930s and 1940s, Archipenko's artistic style underwent another shift, transitioning to a classicizing naturalism expressed through traditional sculptural materials such as bronze, marble, and plaster.

The artist's significant contributions led to his inclusion in Alfred H. Barr's 1936 exhibition, "Cubism and Abstract Art," held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. After a brief period in California, Archipenko relocated to Chicago in 1937, joining the faculty of the New Bauhaus at the request of László Moholy-Nagy. However, his time at the New Bauhaus was short-lived, and he returned to New York City in 1938.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Archipenko devoted much of his time to teaching and lecturing across the country. Concurrently, he continued to generate new artwork and reworked earlier pieces for various exhibitions, including some that he organized himself. In the 1950s, he delved into experimentation with industrial materials such as Formica and Bakelite, incorporating them into new sculptures and sculpto-paintings. These works were characterized by vibrant colors and often exhibited ambitious scales.

In 1960, Archipenko published his book, "Archipenko: Fifty Creative Years, 1908-1958," featuring a comprehensive set of illustrations and a series of short texts outlining his ideas on aesthetics and art. His final creation was his sole monumental sculpture, "King Solomon" (1963), though it fell short of the planned 60-foot-tall version. For this artwork, Archipenko employed bronze to depict a god-like figure, with prongs at the head resembling a crown and intersecting triangular shapes suggesting an ancient costume befitting the biblical king. In 1985, this sculpture found a permanent home on the University of Pennsylvania campus, where it remains.

Archipenko maintained strong connections with his countrymen throughout his life. In his initial years in Paris, he was a member of the Ukrainian Students' Club. During his time in Berlin, he joined the Ukrainian Hromada, and in the United States, he became a member of the Ukrainian Artists' Association. The artist's works were featured in the association's exhibitions. Archipenko was affiliated with the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Ukrainian Institute of America. Many of his works showcased Ukrainian themes, including the relief Ukraine (1940), four busts of Taras Shevchenko (one of them located in the Park of Nationalities in Cleveland), busts of Ivan Franko and Prince Volodymyr the Great, and portraits of Ukrainian public figures. Some of Archipenko's exhibitions, such as the one at the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, were sponsored by Ukrainian groups.

The artist passed away in New York in 1964. 

Throughout his career, Alexander Archipenko utilized new materials and techniques to break with convention, often denying any allegiance to prevailing styles of the day. In this regard, his work can be likened to other sculptural outliers whose figurative work stood apart from the norms of their contemporary moment, such as Elie Nadelman and Gaston Lachaise.

Alexander Archipenko's Art Style

Alexander Archipenko challenged the homochromatic traditions of marble, bronze, and plaster modeling by infusing many of his pieces, crafted from metal, wire, wood, and glass, with vibrant colors. Departing from conventional carving and molding, he employed nailing, pasting, and string binding, making no effort to conceal these methods. Archipenko pioneered kinetic art with his creation "Archipentura." Later in his career, he produced sculptures illuminated from within.

Employing the female form as a means of experimentation and exploration, Archipenko infused his work with a profound spirituality rooted in sculptural traditions from cultures around the world. These influences, combined with his knowledge of modernist styles like Cubism and Futurism, resulted in a genuinely modern approach to sculpture that resisted strict categorization.