series of editorials on prominent designers

aleksei gan was an artist, graphic designer, and design theorist who is considered one of the key figures of russian constructivism. he wrote an influential manifesto for the movement and created different types of artworks, from magazines to buildings.

before joining the communist party in the early 1920’s, he was an anarchist, which likely led to his arrest and subsequent execution by stalinist secret police in 1942.

 

Aleksei Gan in a uniform, 1924. Photo by Alexander Rodchenko

Aleksei Gan, 1924. Photo by Alexander Rodchenko.

 

 

19

joins the Communist party and becomes one of the key figures of the early Soviet avant-garde

18

87

born in Moscow as Aleksei Imberkh

14

participates in the Russian anarchist underground

Signature of Aleksei Gan.

 

Signature of Aleksei Gan

17

fights in World War I where he suffers a severe concussion, heightening his susceptibility to alcohol abuse

18

works in Moscow as a mass action organizer

Four constructivists at the table, drinking tea. From left to right: Shub, Rodchenko, Gan, Stepanova

20

Four constructivists at the table. From left to right: Esfir Shub, Alexander Rodchenko, Aleksei Gan, Varvara Stepanova, 1925.

21

elected president of the Soviet Inventors Association,

co-founds First Working Group of Constructivists along with Alexander Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova

22

publishes his Constructivism manifesto and designs a mobile book-selling kiosk

 

Aleksei Gan, 1924. Photo by Alexander Rodchenko.

 

 

Aleksei Gan on a motorbike

23

organizes a magazine on cinema and photo called Kino-Fot

 

Back cover of SA magazine, issues 5–6, 1926.

 

 

 

Back cover of Soviet Architecture (SA) magazine, issues 5–6, 1926

26

joins OSA, one of the Constructivist architectural movements, and begins to work on layouts of its magazine called SA

28

joins October, a multidisciplinary design movement combining the efforts of architects, painters, and film directors

The first OSA conference. In the center: Aleksei Gan, Moisei Ginzburg, Alexander Vesnin

The first OSA conference. In the center: Aleksei Gan, Moisei Ginzburg, Alexander Vesnin, 1928.

 

 

 

 

30

leaves Moscow for Siberia, suffering from severe alcoholism and depression incurred by the demise of constructivism at the hands of Soviet authorities;

seeks work as an architect, theater designer, painter, and poster designer

A page from issue 5–6 of SA magazine, 1926.

41

arrested near Tomsk by Soviet secret police for counter-revolutionary agitation (a euphemism for talking too much)

 

42

shot to death in a Tomsk prison

 

Created with Sketch.

we declare uncompromising war on art. —aleksei gan

Advertisement made by Aleksei Gan and Alexander Rodchenko

Advertisement made by Aleksei Gan and Alexander Rodchenko, published in issue 11 of Engineering and Life magazine, 1925.

 

 

before the great war

Since his days as an anarchist youth Gan had a habit of hiding personal details of his life even from close friends, thus relatively little is known of his biography. Even his date of birth is uncertain—some claim 1893, others 1895, while most researchers have agreed on 1897. However, it is known that he was born to a family of Russian gentry of French origin, Mikhail Imberkh, and had five siblings.

According to Kristin Romberg, author of an influential thesis on Gan, in the early 1910’s he received an artistic education and later joined an underground anarchist movement, acting and singing in theaters as a cover.

Cover of Long Live to Demonstration of Living book written and designed by Aleksei Gan

Cover of Long Live to Demonstration of Living book written and designed by Aleksei Gan, 1923.

Created with Sketch.

[in design] there should be nothing random, uncontrolled, nothing based only on blind taste and aesthetic voluntarism. everything should be thought through, both technically and functionally. —aleksei gan

 

 

Poster dedicated to the First Exhibition of Modern Architecture designed by Aleksei Gan

Poster dedicated to the First Exhibition of Modern Architecture designed by Aleksei Gan, 1927.

first world war and revolution

 

Despite his anarchist political inclinations, Gan served in World War I, where he suffered a severe concussion. After the October Revolution he began working with an organization called Moscow Federation of Anarchist Groups. However, as anarchists started losing leverage in communist Russia, Gan drifted towards Bolshevism. Later, in 1918, all Soviet anarchist organizations were crushed by the Bolsheviks and banned until the end of the 1980’s. Gan’s anarchist links became a liability, and eventually may have cost him his life.

In Alexander Rodchenko’s studio
Esfir Shub smoking a cigarette, looking into camera

Esfir Shub.

In Alexander Rodchenko’s studio. From left to right: Alexander Rodchenko, Aleksei Gan, Evgenia Sokolova-Zhemchuzhnaya, Olga Rodchenko, Esfir Shub, and Varvara Stepanova. 1924. Photo from private collection.

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