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Vera Mukhina's Sculpture Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov • Vol. 3 (52) - 2010 Series IV: Philology and Cultural Studies CONSTRUCTING FEMALE IDENTITY IN SOVIET ART IN THE 1930s. A CASE STUDY: VERA MUKHINA’S SCULPTURE Andrada FǍTU-TUTOVEANU * Abstract: The current paper is interested in how female identity is artificially constructed through Soviet propaganda, particularly through a new visual language and symbolism, exemplified through the most famous Soviet sculpture, ‘Worker and Collective Farm Woman (Labourer)” (Robochii i kolkhoznitsa) by Vera Mukhina (1889-1953), presented in Paris at the International Exhibition in 1937, as opposed to German and French architectural achievements. The sculpture summarizes an entire Soviet ‘canon’ (Zhdanov’s Socialist Realism), the concept used both in its religious and aesthetic understanding, connecting a new artificial identity to a typical Stalinist imagery and a new visual mythology. The paper studies the female identity as a construct emerging from the connection of all these elements and how its attributes and dimensions are radically changed to adjust the Soviet political discourse. Keywords: female identity, construction of identity, Soviet art, Vera Mukhina, sculpture. 1. Introduction which was deeply related to this artificial or “mechanical construction” of identities The attributes of the female presence in (see Morar-Vulcu, 74), transforming art the Soviet art of the 1930s are shaped by not only at the aesthetic level, but also at two important policies: the first emerged the level of its symbolism. The new female from the Leninist background, was identity as a construct, reunites all these oriented (at least at the level of discourse) elements (political, aesthetic, symbolical, towards the emancipation of women, religious), becoming a very significant become equal ‘comrades’, while, the embodiment of what the “New World” and second, the construction of ‘typical’ “New Person” wanted to appear like, as it identities (the ‘worker’, the ‘collective happened in the case of most famous farm woman – kolkhoznitsa” and so on) Soviet sculpture, ‘Worker and Collective trough political discourse and particularly Farm Woman (Labourer)” ( Robochii i visual propaganda. An interesting kolkhoznitsa) by Vera Mukhina phenomenon here is the transfer of (1889-1953), presented in Paris at the mythological and religious forms, elements International Exhibition in 1937. The and figures to new Soviet art, a process current paper is therefore interested in how *PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher, Transilvania University of Bra şov. 250 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov • Vol. 3 (52) – 2010 • Series IV female identity is artificially constructed from 1934 to 1948, required that Socialist through Soviet propaganda, particularly Realism should offer an educational through a new visual language and glimpse of the future perfected socialist symbolism, exemplified through Vera world, designed to operate as an Mukhina’s world-famous sculpture, as aspirational model for the consuming opposed to German and French masses. Newspapers - whatever their architectural achievements. The sculpture specialist theme - were explicitly summarizes an entire Soviet ‘canon’ positioned as propaganda sites which (Zhdanov’s Socialist Realism), the concept offered ideologically correct models to used both in its religious and aesthetic their mass readers, through carefully understanding, connecting a new artificial contrived juxtapositions of texts and identity to a typical Stalinist imagery and a image. Newspaper photographs were new visual mythology. At a larger scale, vehicles of Socialist Realism as much as the paper also studies the female identity any poster, painting or monumental as a construct emerging from the sculpture [emphasis added] ”. (Simpson, 2) connection of all these elements and how An important phenomenon, as we noted its attributes and dimensions are radically at the beginning of our study is the changed to adjust the Soviet political construction of identities or social discourse. typologies, art being the most useful instrument as its visual impact was very 2. Constructing Identities powerful, without effort, especially when speaking of monumental sculptures. There The Soviet art, based on a straight-laced are actually two levels here to discuss. The political discourse (involving as a powerful first one refers to the policy of weapon the visual propaganda, conducted ‘constructing identities’ and the second to on specific rules – those of Socialist the actual process of artistic typicalisation. Realism - as a new, well-established visual Starting with the policy, we can notice that language) was focused not on presenting a it meant creating a social complex matrix reality (in sculpture, painting and so on), and its transmission, through language but a future, ideal person or society, with (visual communication included) in order the intention of inducing it to the viewers to re-create the existing identities and and implicitly shaping the existing individuals. “First of all – C ălin Morar- identities and people to adapt the new Vulcu, one of the scholars who have ‘standards’ ( new were, in this type of studied the phenomenon - the identity is discourse, the world, the person, the aims, not essential, but constructed . […] The in a word everything, new standing in fact construction is radical. […] Secondly, not for Soviet). “Socialist Realism, established only the nation, but all group identities, at the Writers’ Union Congress in 1934 as cultural, professional, political identities and the sole method of Soviet cultural so on (classes, age groups) are imagined production, was defined by Andrei [emphasis added]. […] Thirdly, a Zhdanov, newly appointed Secretary of the fundamental role in constructing the identity Central Committee of the CPSU, as the is held by narration or by the discourse. […] representation of “reality in its All discursive actors have necessarily been revolutionary development. Zhdanov, invented.” (Morar-Vulcu, 99-100). protector of Stalinist cultural orthodoxy A.FǍTU-TUTOVEANU: Constructing Female Identity in Soviet Art… 251 “British art historian, Toby Clark, coined instead being forced to struggle to perform the term ‘political physiology’ to denote multiple (and sometimes contrasting) roles. political constructs of bodily form that The second level mentioned, the way in accorded with, and could be used to which this construction of identity takes symbolize, what was currently required place in art through building Socialist from the citizen by Soviet ideology. These Realism typologies, occupies actually the constructs related directly to an abstractly main section of the current paper, and is defined, heroic ideal of a future, perfected exemplified through Mukhina’s work. But genus of humankind, the New Soviet first, when discussing typologies, we have Person, which would combine the physical to mention the ideological background: “In characteristics of health, strength, and analytic discussions of political art in the beauty, with the mental and moral powers early 1930s, tremendous attention was to achieve the highest levels of patriotism devoted to the issue of tipazh . […] tipazh and partiinost ’ (party-mindedness) […] acquired central importance in discussions The arts were expected to provide of posters because established images of descriptions and visualizations of this class categories had disappeared. In the ideal.” (Simpson, 3). The term “ideal” is Soviet lexicon, the term tipazh implied a mentioned when speaking about this correct rendering of a particular social typologies promoted so agressively and category. The essence of tipazh was not another variant circulating in literature typicality, but typecasting or typicalization . with respect tot the topic is “fictional” [emphasis added]” (Bonnell). (Simpson, 2) identities or “imagined” as The social typologies to be presented in we already mentioned – yet, taken not as art were actually the ones projected at the such but treated as roles which were political level, the people the Soviet state imperative to fill. wanted to have through a sort of rebirth, a Identity is therefore given, even imposed process actually embodied by this consciously and unconsciously (in a typicalization and the new visual language. subliminal manner) and not assumed, built Anatolii Lunacharskii “explained in 1931 within the political discourse, in a very that the artist’s task was not to describe organized, systemised manner, even what existed in the present but to disclose hierarchies being established within these ‘the inner essence of life, which comes out identities –(Morar-Vulcu, 101). Among of proletarian goals and principles.’ Like them, gender identity was one very much the concept of socialist realism then taking studied after 1989, one major conclusion form, this prescription for artists involved being that one could observe “a a fundamental shift to a new mode of fundamental tension between the visual representation which presented only imperativeness of women’s emancipation the future, the future in the guise of the […] and a political practice oriented in a present.” (Bonnell) totally different direction than gender role reformation” (78). The woman is therefore 3. New Mythology, Religion - New imposed a new pattern, her identity was Heroes artificially and somehow aggressively changed, still she was not offered the We above mentioned the fact that the premises to embody this identity pattern, constructed artificial identity
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