"Sportsman Parade"- Alexander Rodchenko

Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956) was a avante-garde artist who specifically captured the essence of commmunism in one single photograph. Sportsman Parade.

 Russian Artist Alexander Rodchenko

Sportsman Parade

 

 

In this photograph Rodchenko captures an assemnly of people being orchestrated in distinct rows and collumns, as well as onlookers. Communism is a socialist movement that attempts to create a classless society in whcih everything is shared and everybody is the same in a sense individual contribution to the whole. As noted in history this was a failed attempt of governmental organization and it was not distributed without resistance. Rodchenko captures exactly what was just explained in one distinct frame in time. From the photograph, the viewer can distinguish two seperate groups. On the lower side, there are the people in the rows and collumns that represent communism. They are all wearing the same thing, they are in formation, and monitored by a few ment... overseen uniformity. In the upper portion of the photograph a crowd of what appears to be protestors are displayed. Here, chaos is represented. There is no organization, no leader, just a group of people on the verge of riot. The opposite of communism. In personal belief, the tilted angle of the photo inspires the viewer to really think about what is being portrayed. A known sign of "thinking" or "puzzlement" is to tilt one's head, and I believe Rodchenko is playing on this.

 

This picture displays two opposing forces which makes one think of the ancient Chinese cultural take on Ying and Yang. Ying and Yang represent opposing forces that are connected and even neccessary for each other in order to balance. Yin is thought as the negative and feminine side and the Yang is referred to as the masculine and positve side. In relation to Sportsman Parade one could decipher as the uniformed men as the Yin and the protestesters as the Yang. The protesters on the brink of riot in order to restore balance. Also, the two can not split because socities need governing as well as governments need socities. Not until the fall of the Soviet Union did forces become balanced again, or atleast more than what was.