El Lissitzky

1890–1941

From 1909 to 1914 El (Lasar Morduchovich) Lissitzky (Russian, 1890–1941) studied architecture at the Polytechnische Hochschule in Darmstadt, continuing his studies until 1918 at the Polytechnic in Riga. From 1919 on he was a professor in Vitebsk at the Artistic and Technical Institute founded by Marc Chagall. At this time he also began creating three-dimensional spatial works. In 1921 he taught architecture in Moscow at VKhUTEMAS (Higher Technical - Artistic Studios). He participated in the 1922 Erste Russische Kunstausstellung in Berlin and met Hannah Höch, László Moholy-Nagy, and Kurt Schwitters, who inspired him to experiment with photography. El Lissitzky also worked as a graphic designer and typographer for the stationary company Pelikan and for the journal USSR under Construction from 1932 on.