• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.21
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• pp.53-86
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• 2010

This paper is focused on splitting of the first Soviet theatre, MKhAT and collapse of Soviet theatre. A close attention has been paid to Art Theatres's circumstances leading to splitting, critical conscience about division between ideal and real theatres and other concrete situation before the verge of collapse. Administrative reform of the Soviet theatre at the period of Perestroika and Glasnost', its results and conflicts, occurred in the process of transition into market system. These are considered under the premise of that the problems of MKhAT were not so different to the other soviet theatres at that time. As it is known that Moscow Art Theatre is a symbol of Russian theatre. And the status of MKhAT as a symbol of Russian theatre had formulated not only the well-known Stanislavsky' system and his legendary performance The Seagull, Three Sisters etc. It was made by party's effort to make MKhAT as the first Soviet theatre and by directors, artists and critics, they had believed and tried to protect idea of MKhAT as the 'battlements' of Soviet theatrical art. One of them is O. Yefremov, a former leader and artistic director from 1970 to 2000. Actually from the periods of Sovremennik Yefremov knew that does not exist the ideal MKhAT, excepting myths, legends and administrative attitudes. Nonetheless he chose the duty of MKhAT's artistic director to construct ideal MKhAT, theatre as the best moral institution, theatre as union based on common belief. It is same motive that he had led split of MKhAT. But split of theatre did not bring the expected results. After spliting MKhAT has become almost collapsed under collapse of USSR and subsequent turmoil at 1990's. And as soviet theatre disappeared into history, Russian theatre became lost its special significance, the super-theatre's idea.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.7
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• pp.125-163
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• 2009

The artworks of Socialist Realism of the former Soviet Union, with the beginning of the 21st century, are gaining a new attention from art collectors. One reason for this might consist in the fact that relevant art pieces exemplify the ways in which they visualize ideas on the basis of their high-profile art tradition and also in which they integrate their utopian ideals with mysticism. These aspects of the Soviet art goes far beyond the wide-spread assumption that their art, as a means of propaganda, principally represents a political allegiance to the system. With Stalin coming into power in the 1930s, the artistic trend of Socialist Realism obtained a nationwide sympathy and support from people, giving birth to a new art which essentially corresponded to the demands of the political power. An official art current of the USSR over the period from the 1930s to 1950s, Socialist Realism was in tandem with the Communist commitment to the party and popularity, symbolizing a loyalty to the cause. It was thus characterized by plainness and lucidity so that ordinary people could gain easy access to art. Its salient feature, over an entire range of art, was an optimistic pursuit of a utopian dream. Therefore, it tallied with the popular sentiment for a Communist paradise, giving form to their beliefs in human agency working at the materialist world and also to such abstract concepts as force, fitness, and beauty by adding even mythical ideals. Its main subject matter includes harvest feasts of collective farms, imaginary socialist cities, grand marches of heroic laborers and in this way it served as a propaganda for a sacred utopia of socialist totalitarianism. On the other end of the spectrum, however, rose the second camp of art, which put an emphasis on bona-fide artistic activities of plastic art and on an artist's personal expression and freedom, as opposed to the surface optimism of Socialist Realism. Central to the Russian Avant Garde art, which prized the above-mentioned values, were Malevich's Geometric Abstraction and A. Rodchenko's Constructivism. Furthermore, in the transitional era of the late 20th century and the 21st century it was recognized that film art or electronic media art, rather than traditional genre of paintings, would function as a more efficient way of propaganda. These new genres were made possible by ridiculing the stereotypes of the Russian lifestyle and also by ignoring ethical or professional dimensions of artworks. That is, they reinvented themselves into a sort of field art, seemingly degrading the quality of artworks and transforming them into artifacts or simulacres in the very sense of post-modernism. The advent of the new era brought about the formation and occupation of pop culture of the younger generations, calling into question the idea of art as the class-determined. It also increased the attention to field art, which extensively found way to modern art centers, galleries, and exhibition projects. It can be stated that this was a natural outcome of human nature.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2022

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian public has been rapidly adapting to belated globalization, consistent with the ever-changing market economy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the social background and modern fashion of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet system and consider the characteristics of modern Russian fashion that have emerged in various ways amid the social changes. This study has significance in expanding the breadth of understanding the rapidly growing modern Russian fashion by considering modern Russian fashion and preparing the foundation while filling the need for research on the Russian fashion market, which has great potential. In the scope of the study, we investigated fashion from the post-2000s, when consumption began in earnest after Russia suffered a period of social and economic turmoil and switched to a liberalistic economy in 1991, to the present. In addition, we conducted an analysis focusing on the works of fashion designers who came from Russia and actively participated in work activities in Russia or abroad. Russian fashion designers reflect the unique cultural characteristics of Russia in their designs and incorporate Russian art into their designs to represent new fashion. Through continuous attempts for creative fashion design, modern Russian fashion will be developed in more diverse ways in the future. Thus, a follow-up study using various approaches to Russian fashion is needed.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.4
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• pp.77-104
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• 2006

The propaganda paintings in oil colors or in forms of posters made from 1949 to 1966 have gone through some changes experiencing the influence of the Soviet Union Art and discussion of nationalization, while putting political messages of the time in the picture planes. The propaganda paintings which have been through this process became an effective means of encouraging the illiterate people in political ideologies, production, and learning. Alike other propaganda paintings in different mediums, the ones which were painted in oil colors and in the form of posters have been produced fundamentally based on Mao Zedong's intensification of the literary art on the talks on literature at Yenan. Yet, the oil paintings and posters were greatly influenced by the socialist realism and propaganda paintings of the Soviet Union, compared to other propaganda paintings in different mediums. Accordingly, they were preponderantly dealt in the discussions of nationalization of the late '50s. To devide in periods, the establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949 as a diverging point, the propaganda paintings made before and after 1949 have differences in subject matters and styles. In the former period, propaganda paintings focused on the political lines of the Communists and enlightenment of the people, but in the latter period, the period of Cultural Revolution, the most important theme was worshiping Mao Zedong. This was caused by reflection of the social atmosphere, and it is shown that the propaganda painters had reacted sensitively to the alteration of politics and the society. On the side of formalities, the oil paintings and posters made before the Cultural Revolution were under a state of unfolding several discussions including nationalization while accepting the Soviet Union styles and contents, and the paintings made afterwards show more of unique characteristics of China. In 1956, the discussion about nationalization which had effected the whole world of art, had strongly influenced the propaganda paintings in oil colors more than anything. There were two major changes in the process of making propaganda paintings in oil colors. One was to portray lives of the Chinese people truthfully, and the other was to absorb the Chinese traditional styles of expression. After this period, the oil painters usually kept these rules in creating their works, and as a result, the subject matters, characters, and backgrounds have been greatly Sinicized. For techniques came the flat colored surface of the new year prints and the traditional Chinese technique of outlining were used for expressing human figures. While the propaganda paintings in oil colors achieved high quality and depth, the posters had a very direct representation of subject matters and the techniques were unskilled compared to the oil paintings. However, after the establishment of People's Republic of China, the posters were used more than any other mediums for propagation of national policy and participation of the political movements, because it was highly effective in delivering the policies and political lines clearly to the Chinese people who were mostly illiterate. The poster painters borrowed techniques and styles from the Soviet Union through books and exhibitions on Soviet Union posters, and this relation of influences constantly appears in the posters made at the time. In this way, like the oil paintings, the posters which have been made with a direct influence of the Soviet Union had developed a new, sinicised process during the course of nationalization. The propaganda paintings in oil colors or in forms of posters, which had undergone the discussion of nationalization, had put roots deep down in the lives of the Chinese people, and this had become another foundation for the amplification of influences of political propaganda paintings in the following period of Cultural Revolution.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.108-127
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to examine the principles of clothing design and the way of design approach in Lamanova. She caused a revolution in the art of dress and created the foundation for costume design theory. She Addressed Art in everyday life to self-taught dressmakers. The distinguishing feature of the design is simplicity and functionality. In an article "The Russian Style", Lamanova raised the question of the new Soviet costume and traditional costume. In "On Contemporary Costume" she classified the new forms of clothes into everyday and holiday attire, showed the principles of costume, and analyzed in detail the necessity of constructing a costume to suit the individual figure. In "On the Rationality of Costume", she found a basis theory for clothing design which is for whom, from what, and for what purpose. Lamanova's theory was made public in full in 1928 and was presented at the exhibition of Handmade Textiles and Embroidery in Women's Contemporary Costume. The main contents are the costume's purpose, it's material, the figure of its wearer, and its form. She argued that the new costume could be in line with the new life and her theory could be the creed of clothing designers. The principles of Lamanova's theory can still be applied today, not only in Russian traditional and contemporary costume, but in contemporary world fashion.

• Journal of Communication Design
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• v.65
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• pp.70-81
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• 2018

From 1949 to 1966, after the new China was established, in order to consolidate newborn regime and erect national image, "proletariat revolutionary education" had become the main way of literary and artistic creation in the new era. In this era, Chinese animation began to produce to form the characteristics of emphasizing the ideological expression and political education from 1949 to1966, but it also made people misunderstand that it was the results of comprehensive containment of Soviet literary thoughts and creative models. In fact, Regardless of the subject matter, narrative, and role, Chinese animations have inherited and developed the ideological characteristics of the "Mun-yi-jae-do" literary view, forming a creative style that is different from the Soviet "dogmatism." The characteristics of "revolutionary hero role", "mythological expression of revolutionary thought" and "unique storytelling narrative mode" in Chinese animation from 1949 to 1966 were the inheritance and development of the "hero role", "mythological story", and "art of storytelling" of the important expression means of traditional art creation after the establishment of the "Mun-yi-jae-do".

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.15
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• pp.29-47
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• 2009

The changes in the field of high tech media promote the development of animation films, which was considered once as a decaying industry. A large success of Disney animation films in 1980's and the possibilities of animation as an economically profitable mass products allowed this art form to play a leading role in mass culture. But, the cultural and philosophical aspects of animation works are not studied enough up to this time, despite its importance. This article is focused on the study of animation as a serious cultural and philosophical text. The object of research is the Russian animation in the period of 1960-1980 years. In this time, new trends are noticed in the history of Russian animation : aesthetical experiments in style and subjects became possible since the society freed from totalitarian atmosphere after the political destalinization by Khrushchev. In addition to, it was the time when the system of state subsidies still functioned, that animation was not the object of cultural industry yet, as it happened in the period of Perestroika. In this condition, lots of short animation films, which were remarkable not only in the context of Soviet art culture, but also in the history of world animation films, were produced. This article proposes to analyze the characteristics of realities and fantasy, portrayed in the films of this period, and examine the role and status of animation films in the social-cultural context.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.36
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• pp.183-203
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• 1998

The wave of Avant-garde swept away all in the unique social background so called 'October Revolution' and the early 1900 Russian society which was able to absorb and accept anything. The Russian avant-garde has been affected by the Cubism and the Futurism those had peculiarly appeared in the early twentieth century, spreaded out to three spheres: the Suprematism, the Rayonism and the Constructivism. The Russian Constructivism has appeared in this background, concretely and ideally ex-pressed the ideology of the revolution into the artistic form and made an huge influence to the whole Russian society. The Constructivist like Tatlin, naum Gabo, Pevaner, Rodchenko, Stepanova, Popova and Exter gave great effect on the Soviet Constructive fashion design in 1920's after the Revolution. The Soviet costume in 1920s hold in common the characteristicss of the Constructive graphic as it is, geometrical and abstractive form, energetic and motility. In fashion design, these graphic qualities have been showed as the application of geometrical form and architectural image, physical distortion and transformation. And in textile design, the simple, dynamical presentation has been appeared. We can classify the Soviet costume at this time into three occasions. The first term is from late 1910 th mid 1920, and it is altered from folk costume design to modern one. With Lamanova as the first on the list, using the folk mitif, the Constructive expression of simple form has been gradually revealed in design. Designers like Makarova, Pribylskaia and Mukhina produced the plane, simple chemise style with the decoration of the Russian traditional motif. From early to late 1920 is the second term, and it is at the pick of the most active processing of the Constructive design. Not only at the costume in daily life but also at the theatrical costume and textile, the con-structive design has been represented all avail-able fields. Many Constructivists including Stepanova, Popova, Exter and Rodchenko took part in the textile design and costume design so as to evlvo their aesthetic concept. The third term is from late 1920 to early 1930. The socialistic realism has dominated over the whole culture and art, the revolutionary dynamic motif has been presented also in textile design. The formative features of Soviet Constructive fashion design are; silhouette, from, motif, color and fabric. The first, the silhouette : a straight rectangular silhouetted has been expressed through the whole period and a volumed one with distorted human body shape has introduced in the theatrical costume design. The second, the form: many lengthened rectangular forms have been made at beginnings, but to the middle period, geometrical, architectural forms have been more showed and there are energy and movement in design. At the last period, only a partial feature-division has been seen. The third, the motif; no pattern or ethnic motif has been partly used at beginnings, a figure like circle, tri-angle has gradually appeared in textile design. At latter period, a real-existent motif like an airplane has been represented with graphing and simplicity. The fourth, the color ; because of insufficient dyeing, neutral color like black or grey color has been mainly covered, but after middle term, a primary color or pastel tone has been seen, contrast of the fabric; without much development of textile industry after the Revolution, thick and durable fabrics have been the main stream, but as time had going to the last period, fabrics such as linen, cotton, velvet and silk have been varously choesn. At the theatrical costume, new materials like plastics and metals that were able to accentuate the form. The pursuit of popularity, simplicity and functionalism that the basic concept of Constructive fashion is one of the "beauty" which has been searching in modern fashion. And now we can appreciate how innovative and epochal this Soviet Constructive fashion movement was.ement was.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.4
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• pp.203-239
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• 2006

As it is known, during the Second World War Greece has fought on the side of the allies and the end of the war found the country on the winners' side. However, the struggle for authority right after 1945 was merciless and extremely difficult, as well as dangerous for the course of the country to the future. The political powers were divided between the legal authorities that were represented by the king and formed the exiled government on the one hand and the part of the resistance teams and the rebels of the left that had a soviet friendly direction on the other. Thus, the start of a civil war was just a matter of time. It fin ally started in 1947 and lasted for more than two years. The consequences were disastrous for the country's economy and decisive for the future course of Greece. The national army prevailed with the help of, mostly, the English. Royal parliamentary democracy was established with a clear political turn to the west, as a completion and adaptation of the Agreement of the Great Powers at Yalta. Art had a 'similar' route. Dipolar, contradictory: conservative choices on the one side, and a will for pioneering inspiration and perspective on the other side. The 'dominate' trend was first evident in sculpture and mainly in the public monuments. Their construction aimed mostly at the public propaganda and at the promotion of the sovereign ideology. On the one side we have the public sculptures composed of faces of contemporary heroes or leading figures of the civic war and the national resistance. On the other side we have monumental statues mainly that appeal to a 'public' outside of the country's borders and mostly of the north borders, where there are countries with a communistic regime, like Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania. Their subject is derived from the heroic events of the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and ancient historical figures like Alexander the Great as the Greek army leader, his father, Philippos II and Aristotle, who was of a north-Greek origin. The political message is twofold: on the one side the 'inner enemy' the communists that were defeated and the promotion of the new liberal social system and on the other side the north neighbours, which not only represent the East Block, but they also conspire the history and the culture of the Greeks. This is the way how the 'Cold War' was resulted in a full and totalitarian expression in art.

• 중국학논총
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• no.58
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• pp.91-119
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• 2018

As for the various pathological phenomena of the society which is getting worse without any improvement, the film paints the phenomenon nakedly with the cold and cynical gaze on the basis of realism. These attempts originated in the Chinese art world, and they cynically sketched a Chinese society that lost hope after 6·4. The cynicism of the art world contains meanings such as instruction, meanness, passion, indifference, and mockery. In particular, the distrust of the social system after 6·4 and the collapse of the Soviet and Eastern European socialist nations gave the Chinese people a skeptical view of socialism. This situation of the times has a cynical viewpoint to face as it is instead of prudent criticism. This cynical view was embraced by filmmakers who were not silent on The pathological phenomenon of society, and they were directed to films. is a film about the love, separation, suicide, frustration and reconciliation of youth in the era of identity confusion after 6·4. The characters in the film did not mention a single word about the state power that made them do it. based on the characteristics of women in northeast China and the murder that occurred around a woman with a beauty that was not like a laundry employee. Centered around the unresolved slice murder case, expressed human moral ambiguity that does not distinguish good fortune from human instinct for struggle for survival, and portrayed the scenery of a very cold northeast small city. But it does not show any criticism of the crime. Based on the true story of the 2000s, the portrays the uncomfortable aspects of China that established Chinese socialism. A film composed of four short episodes conveys the destiny set by God.