Artwork
Χωρίς τίτλο
Χωρίς τίτλο is a drawing by Aleksandr Rodchenko. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus.
About this work
Check out the work of artist: Rodchenko, Aleksandr (1891-1956) to see more of his experiments with shape and color.
This painting shows simple circular shapes in different colors on a uniform background.
The artist used these shapes to create contrasts and explore new ideas. This was a time of change in his work, with many different styles and techniques being tried out. He was looking for new ways to express himself.
Check out the work of artist: Rodchenko, Aleksandr (1891-1956) to see more of his experiments with shape and color.
Overview
Created in 1918, this untitled image by Aleksandr Rodchenko features a series of colored circles arranged on a flat, uniform field. The composition emphasizes the interaction of simple geometric forms and contrasting hues, reflecting a phase in the artist’s practice when he was actively redefining visual language through abstraction.
Subject & Meaning
The work explores the reciprocal relationship between basic circular motifs, using color contrast to generate visual tension against a monochrome backdrop. By focusing on elementary shapes, Rodchenko investigates how form and hue can communicate dynamism without representational content, aligning with his broader interest in the expressive potential of geometry.
Technique & Style
Executed with precise, ruler‑drawn circles and flat areas of color, the piece bridges earlier ruler‑and‑dip drawings (1915‑16) and the more linear, constructivist compositions that followed. The uniform background serves as a neutral plane, allowing the colored discs to stand out sharply, a hallmark of Rodchenko’s experimental approach during his constructivist period.
Context
The image belongs to a group of works produced between 1918 and 1920, a transitional interval in Rodchenko’s career marked by rapid stylistic shifts. These pieces, documented in Selim O. Khan‑Magomedov’s monograph, illustrate an intermediate stage that links his early geometric experiments to the linearism evident in his 1920 output.
Artist & collection
Artist
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (Russian: Александр Михайлович Родченко; 5 December 1891 – 3 December 1956) was a Russian and Soviet artist, sculptor, photographer, and graphic designer.
Museum
Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus
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