Russian Art - A Brief History

Russian art is a fascinating and diverse field that spans centuries of history and encompasses a wide range of styles and movements. From the medieval icons and frescoes of the Orthodox Church to the revolutionary avant-garde of the early 20th century, Russian art has played a vital role in shaping the cultural identity of the nation.

One of the most iconic and enduring forms of Russian art is the traditional icon. These religious images, typically painted on wood, have been a staple of Orthodox Church worship for centuries. The intricate details and symbolic meanings of these icons have made them an important part of Russian religious and cultural heritage. Many famous artists such as Andrey Rublev, Dionysius and Simon Ushakov have created famous icons which are now considered as masterpieces of art.

Another important aspect of Russian art is the influence of folk art and traditional crafts. From brightly-colored traditional textiles and ceramics to intricate woodcarvings and metalwork, these forms of art have played a major role in shaping the visual landscape of Russia. The use of bright colors and bold geometric patterns in these crafts is particularly notable, and has been a major influence on many contemporary Russian artists.

In the 19th century, Russian art began to take on a more Westernized form, with the emergence of realist and impressionist movements. Artists like Ivan Kramskoi, Ilya Repin, and Valentin Serov, began to push the boundaries of traditional art and bring new ideas and techniques to the Russian art scene. This movement was a stepping stone to the next movement which is called the "Mir iskusstva" (World of Art) which was a Russian artistic movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which sought to break away from the realistic style and to create a new, national school of art.

The early 20th century saw the emergence of a new avant-garde movement in Russia. The most famous of these is the Suprematism, which was led by Kazimir Malevich. The Suprematist artists sought to break away from representational art and create a new form of abstraction based on geometric shapes and primary colors. This movement was a major influence on the development of modern art and design, and many of its leading figures went on to become major international figures in the art world.

Finally, in the Soviet era, the communist government heavily controlled the art which was produced, and the art produced during this era is often seen as propaganda. However, some artists were able to create unique works that are now considered masterpieces. Alexander Deineka and Yevgeny Chuprin are two examples of Soviet-era artists who created significant works despite government censorship.

In conclusion, Russian art is a complex and fascinating field that has played a major role in shaping the cultural identity of the nation. From the medieval icons and frescoes of the Orthodox Church to the revolutionary avant-garde of the early 20th century, Russian art has been a reflection of the political, social, and cultural changes that have taken place in the country over time. Understanding the significance of Russian art is vital to understanding the history, culture and identity of Russia.

Marigolds

Marigolds are my favorite flowers. They’re nostalgic and sentimental to me, which makes sense because, according to nearly every gardening site I’ve visited, marigolds are a popular favorite for children and beginning gardeners. Though they’re commonly yellow or orange, marigolds can also be red or white, as well as any combination of those four colors. According to the University of Minnesota, there are generally three types of marigolds: French, African, and Signet. African marigolds grow the biggest, reaching 3-4 feet in height, while French marigolds typically grow between 6-12 inches and Signet marigolds only grow 6 inches at most. Because of their smaller size, Signet marigolds are often grown for consumption, typically thrown into salads or used as garnishes. Marigold flowers are much more tolerant than most other flowers, but they still require a basic amount of care. They typically require a lot of sunlight and prefer well-drained soil. 

Marigolds are also commonly used in celebratory settings, such as for events like Dia de Muertos. According to an article in Remezcla, marigold flowers were recorded by Spanish settlers in Mexico. They were being used by the Aztecs in the 16th century, making it the first recorded reference to marigolds; however, the Aztecs demonstrated a complex understanding of the marigolds’ medicinal properties. This likely means that marigolds had a much longer history in the area. The Aztecs used marigolds both for their medicinal properties and for celebrations, marking the beginning of a long tale explaining marigolds’ relations to Dia de Muertos (to read the article, reference the source list).

-Skizze

Links to Sources:

The Chihuahua

They’re now known simply as tiny, sometimes terrifying dogs, but chihuahuas have a pretty layered history. I know many people in my life who claim that they’d never choose a chihuahua among various other dog breeds to be their pet, but maybe specific facts about chihuahuas in the United States might change their minds. 

Chihuahuas are named after the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, where their presence was first recorded in the 19th century (Britannica). The breed is thought to have been derived from the Techichi dog, another breed kept by the Toltec people who resided in Mexico before the Aztecs (AKC). When the Aztecs took over, those in higher social standing reportedly kept these dogs, which looked similar to today’s chihuahuas, until they were potentially bred with the Xoloitzcuintli to create the chihuahua as we know it today (AKC). Despite their beginning potentially being as far back as the 9th century CE (Britannica), chihuahuas weren’t recognized as an official dog breed by the American Kennel Club (founded in 1884) until 1904 (AKC). Despite this delayed recognition, the American Kennel Club notes that chihuahuas are gifted in many ways. On their website, chihuahuas rank highly in their trainability, energy, playfulness, friendliness, adaptability, and affection levels (AKC).

For this reason, it may seem that chihuahuas are undeserving of their ‘ankle-biter’ status. As it is with every other dog breed, aggressive behavior isn’t an inherent part of their being. You could, hypothetically, develop a great relationship with any dog with the proper care and precautions. However, this fussy classification for chihuahuas is not necessarily unfounded. After all, the American Kennel Club also notes that chihuahuas have high “mental stimulation needs” and a more reserved status when it comes to their possessions, perhaps explaining why there have been many instances of people experiencing angry chihuahuas. If a chihuahua isn’t receiving the mental stimulation they need, it may be more likely to lash out. Not only that, but the unique personality of the chihuahua makes it so that provocation is easier than it would be with a more easygoing breed. All in all, it’s crucial to treat chihuahuas with respect and care. As a smaller dog breed, people are more inclined to overstep the chihuahua’s boundaries when interacting with them, causing the dog to understandably react with fear and aggression, which may be yet another cause of their status as angry ankle-biters. 

Sources:

The Color Pink

I will be discussing a color today - specifically, pink. Though I chose it as my subject because of my love for the color, my research overwhelmingly talked about pink in the context of gender. I've been exposed to these gender stereotypes since I was a baby, so this discovery only intrigued me more about the color pink's history and psychology. So, without further ado, let's begin!

Firstly, what is the origin story of our current connotations with pink? And, correspondingly, the color blue? Well, it all began in the mid-20th century, according to the Fashion Institute of Technology, when the United States assigned blue to boys and pink to girls. Before this period, when pink first entered the realm of fashion in the 1700s, pink was seen as a typically more masculine, powerful color, as a lighter hue of red. Blue was considered more dainty and was targeted more toward girls. In his New York Times article titled Pink and Blue, author David Brooks found evidence of this narrative still being circulated in a 1918 Ladies Home Journal article, where it was said that the "generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls." It seems confusing, then, that there was a swap between these colors' connotations. Could it be that 1940s society had suddenly decided women were more deserving of powerful pink? The UMKC Women's Center clarifies that the swap was still founded on deeply sexist principles, with pink suddenly being seen as "closer to red, a romantic color," which fit with the prevailing narrative of the time that women were more emotional than men. It was also attributable to shifting trends in high fashion. At one point, pink had been a symbol of luxury in fashion. Both men and women had worn it, but as men began wearing darker colors, which had come to be seen as more masculine, these powdery pink hues in clothing were more commonly worn by women. In a CNN interview with Valerie Steele, editor of the book Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color, Steele notes that "The feminization of pink began around there, … [as it] became an expression of delicacy," which explains the importance of high fashion trends in creating gender-coded colors.

Pink also had come to be seen as a more "sexual" color, according to the CNN article, with pink often being present in lingerie items worn predominantly by women. In the early 1900s, due to industrialization, pink became much more mass-produced, reducing its allure among the higher classes and turning pink into a more vibrant and common hue used by sex workers and the lower classes (CNN). Within the first two decades of the 20th century, pink slowly ascended into the world of high fashion thanks to several designers reviving the color in dresses and other pieces of clothing (CNN). These events triggered new classifications for pink and blue among the collective; particularly in America, postwar marketing solidified pink as a 'girl color' and blue as a 'boy color' (CNN). Though there were many efforts by second-wave feminists in the 1960s and 1970s to eradicate gender-coded colors, they were ultimately unsuccessful as the 80s brought about prenatal testing (Brooks). Once parents could find out the sex of their baby, infant products geared toward either gender became much more prevalent (Brooks). In today's world, pink is still pretty standard in products geared toward girls, and blue is just as common for boys (see the toy aisles in Target for evidence of that!). But there's been much more discourse about these gender divides in recent years, and gender-neutral options for children are simultaneously gaining popularity. Though we've not been fully relieved of pink and blue's designated genders, we might get there one day. 

So, pink has a long history entrenched in political discourse. That's an essential facet of pink's story as a color. Moreover, the history of pink contributes significantly to how we perceive that color. After all, what we learn in our youth alters our perspective of the world, so it tracks that pink's feminine classification remains a part of how the color is seen. According to colorpsychology.org, these enduring marketing effects are seen when we look at the psychology of pink. Among other things, pink is still commonly associated with femininity, love, innocence, optimism, youth, and tenderness, all things that women are consistently expected to be. So, pink could represent the oppression of women. However, pink is just a color, even if it is intrinsically linked to women's struggles. Instead of turning away from the color pink to empower women, it would be even more impactful to re-appropriate pink as a symbol of power for women. People changed our perspective on pink, making it possible for us to change it again. I know that I went through a stage of rejecting all elements of femininity as a naive 12-year-old in an attempt to separate myself from what I saw as 'oppressive' colors, products, and personality traits. Being 'girly' shouldn't be seen as inferior in the first place, though. Once we classify femininity as worse than masculinity, a concept that women must distance themselves from to be respected, we shift the responsibility of sexism to the oppressed instead of those who perpetuate these ideas of women's inferiority.

I've come to appreciate the color pink much more in recent years than 12-year-old me ever would've imagined. Though it has sexist connotations, pink has become a color symbolizing strength, power, intelligence, kindness, assertiveness, and all the other adjectives that make me feel confident in myself. Besides, I don't necessarily choose to like pink because I am a woman. I prefer it because I like how the color looks. This reasoning should be the basis of all our choices in life - our individual tastes, not uncontrollable parts of our identity. The only thing that can hurt me from liking dolls, pink, or dresses is if I believe the prevailing idea that they are inferior. And I don't think that's true. Neither should you. 

-Skizze

Links to Sources:

https://www.colorpsychology.org/pink/

https://archive.nytimes.com/brooks.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/pink-and-blue/

https://munsell.com/color-blog/why-that-color-gender/

https://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/exhibitions-timeline/pink-the-history-of-a-punk-pretty-powerful-color/

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/history-of-color-pink/index.html

https://info.umkc.edu/womenc/2018/06/25/8369/

https://www.lafilm.edu/blog/the-psychology-of-color/

The Significance of Onions

Before we get into some interesting facts about onions, let me clarify one thing: I dislike onions. I think they taste bad, and I won’t apologize for it! However, my distaste for onions did spark a curiosity in the other potential reasons that I could appreciate the vegetable, hence this post. We use them today in salads and sauces, but unlike other foods like pomegranates and eggs, onions are rarely talked about! I’m here to change that. Let’s begin.

Onions reportedly originated over 5000 years ago in Asia, making them one of the oldest food sources for humans. (Division of Plant Sciences Onion: A brief history (David Trinklein)) According to the New Mexico State University, onions were worshiped by the Egyptians! Because of the “circle-within-a-circle” shape of onions, they were thought to symbolize eternal life. They were often buried alongside powerful Pharaohs (New Mexico State University, History of Onions). One of these Pharaohs, King Ramses IV, died in 1160 B.C. with onions in his eye sockets, and they were also commonly found elsewhere on other entombed bodies because of their believed uses in the afterlife. In Ancient Greece, athletes would eat pounds of onions, consume onion juice, and rub onions all over their bodies in preparation for the Olympic Games. This can be attributed to the Greeks’ knowledge of an onion’s medicinal uses; a Greek physician in the first century AD named Dioscorides noted an understanding of their healthy properties (New Mexico State University, History of Onions). Now, with our modern research, we are able to pinpoint exactly how onions are healthy for us. According to the National Onion Association (NOA), onions are high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, fiber, and other nutrients such as manganese (National Onion Association, Onion Nutrition). Because of this and their relatively low calorie count, they make for very healthy vegetables. However, we all know these veggies aren’t green. Often, you’ll see either red or yellow onions in use. Despite their seemingly identical popularity, yellow onions far outnumber red or white onions in the U.S.. 87% of onions in the United States are yellow onions, with 8% being red onions and 5% being white onions. Red onions are commonly used in salads and sandwiches because of their color, with yellow onions being used more often because of their more sweet flavor (National Onion Association, Onion Color Flavor Usage Guide).

I just researched onions for an hour. What a lovely way to spend New Year’s Day! Happy New Year, everyone, and hopefully you all have a wonderful 2023. 

-Skizze

Sources:

Division of Plant Sciences, [email protected]. “Onion: A Brief History (David Trinklein).” Onion: A Brief History // Missouri Environment and Garden News Article // Integrated Pest Management, University of Missouri, https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2011/3/Onion-A-Brief-History/#:~:text=Onion%20is%20thought%20to%20have,especially%20important%20in%20ancient%20Egypt. 

Onion Breeding Program (no date) History of Onions, History | New Mexico State University - BE BOLD. Shape the Future. Available at: https://onion.nmsu.edu/history.html (Accessed: January 1, 2023). 

Onion nutrition (2020) National Onion Association. Available at: https://www.onions-usa.org/all-about-onions/onion-nutrition/ (Accessed: January 1, 2023). 

Onion color, flavor, usage guide (2019) National Onion Association. Available at: https://www.onions-usa.org/all-about-onions/onion-color-flavor-usage-guide/ (Accessed: January 1, 2023).