What was the end of this venture, happened 60 years ago? The “Circus“ was the last number of this legendary magazine. The „USSR under construction” was really legendary revue: the best photographers of the 1930’s worked on this issue: Alpert, Ignatovich, Shaikhet, Shagin, Zelma, Kudoyarov, Petrussov and Rodchenko; among of the designers were El Lissitsky and his wife Sofia Kuppers, Solomon Telingater, Mikhail Troshin, and Rodchenko with Stepanova also.

And the photos remained: Rodchenko’s circus photographs presented not only as a documentation of circus numbers, scenes and the artists’ portraits. These photos became independent art-works, one of the last Rodchenko’s series, reflection of his life and vision.

Almost all the circus series of Rodchenko of the 1940-s was shot with “Leica“ camera and soft lens “Tambar”. In the circus there is always very contrasting and direct light. The peculiarity of this lens is, firstly it is long-focused, secondly, owing to its optic scheme the lens lets get „wrapped by haze” images. The floodlights create magic aura around the silhouettes. The patches of lights shimmer on the artists’ costumes. All seems happen in a magic dream.

Certainly, Rodchenko photographed the circus before. The first shots were made in 1928. What did attract him in circus life?

The magic and liberty of means of expression is what he appreciated Rodchenko in a circus performance. The place he was born was above the stage of small theatre in St-Petersburg. One of the strongest impressions of his childhood was the arrival of a fortune-teller. Dolls in the box and sad man by whose voice were speaking these small heroes, — unbelievable magic.

Afterwards was a time, when in the 1920-s Rodchenko created eccentric compositions of hovering in the dark space geometric forms. In the Rodchenko’s photographs of Moscow in the 1920-s dizzy foreshortening, shooting from top and low levels are akin to childish wish to make a miracle. He is alike of the circus hero — early bald, ironic and a slightly sad clown.

In the 1930-s the circus was, perhaps, the only art area where the policy and the State management of culture played less important role than, for example, in painting or in literature.
The realism in circus is quite conditional. The action happens in a dramatic darkness, where the artist is alone under the floodlight’s ray, as under the magnifying-glass. As any man, he is lonely with his trick in the overcrowded hall. The Circus of Rodchenko is the metaphor of life.

Alexander Lavrentyev