Alexandra Exter (1882-1949)

Alexandra Exter (nee Grigorovich) was born in a family of bureaucrats. In 1901, began attending classes at the Kiev Art School. In 1903, after marrying a lawyer NE Exter, arranged at his home salon-shop, which later became the center of Kiev avant-garde art.

In 1907, Exter went to Paris, where she studied for a while in a private academy "La Grande Chaumiere." In Paris, she met with representatives of the French contemporary art - G. Apollinaire, G. Braque, Picasso, M. Jacob, the Italian Futurists.

In the years 1908-14. Exter lived in Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris, traveled to Italy and Switzerland, performing regular contacts between Russian and European "Left" artists.

She was a member of almost all the avant-garde exhibitions in Russia: Lounge VA Izdebsky in Odessa (1909/10, 1911), "The Wreath-Stephanos" and "Triangle" in St. Petersburg (1910), "№ 4" in Moscow (1914) .
in 1910, joined the association "Jack of Diamonds" and participated in its exhibitions, and in 1913 became a member of the "Union of Youth."
In 1914, in Kiev organized vanguard exhibition of "The Ring."

Exter's work on display and abroad at the Paris Salon of Independent and Free at the International Futurist Exhibition (1914). Early landscapes and still lifes Exter show a strong influence of French painting ("ancient landscape", "Night Town", "Still life with eggs," all of the 1910s). Inspired by futurism and cubism, it began to create independent compositions, often using the technique of collage. Decorative features paintings of the artist are most obvious in the non-objective compositions.

In 1915, Exter joined in Moscow by the group K. Malevich . At the same time, she expressed interest in the applied arts, using cubist shapes to create everyday objects.

The most outstanding biography of the artist was her work in the Moscow Chamber Theatre. She belonged to the painting of the lobby of the theater and the curtain design drama "Famira Kifared" Annensky (1916), "Salome," Oscar Wilde (1917), "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare (1921). The costumes and scenery Exter particularly impressive for its three-dimensionality, underlined plastitsizmom and sonority of color.

In the years after the revolution Exter engaged in teaching: in 1918. Odessa in children's art school, and then in his own studio in Kiev.
in 1921 - 22 years. she taught at the Moscow Higher Art. Among her students were A. Tyshler, MI Nivinsky , Rabinovich, etc.

In the 1920s. artist, like many leaders of Constructivist movement, appealed to the practical work: participated in the design of I-Russian Agricultural Exhibition (1923), coming up with designs for fabrics, collaborated with the Moscow fashion studio, where he developed projects of women's clothing, participated in the creation of the Red Army . Exter were based on sketches made fancy costumes for the film "Aelita" YA Protozanov. They defined the whole style of films that became classics of the screen.

In 1924, the artist was asked to design the Soviet pavilion at the XIV International Exhibition in Venice, where he exhibited and her work. After Venice, Exter went to Paris to work on the exhibition of the Soviet Division of the World exhibition of decorative arts. Presented at her theater work has received a gold medal.

In Russia Exter has not returned, she remained in Paris, and in 1929 settled in Fontenay-Roses. Exter worked overseas theatrical and applied research, created the costumes for the ballet productions BF Nijinska, E. Kruger, etc. In 1925-30 years. at the invitation of F. Dej taught at the Academy of Modern Art in Paris, and also gave private lessons. Her works were shown at numerous exhibitions. At the end of her life she was fascinated by the creation of manuscripts.