Abstract
In this project I would like to examine the human body as a tool that can be transformed, through the ideas of the Soviet Union. I am particularly interested in how and why the body was seen as something that could transcend humanity and physicality, and specifically how this process occurs. I intend to discover this through researching material culture and the mutually effective relationship between objects and the body, specific spaces in which the body fused with the environment surrounding it, and examples of art and literature that supported or critiqued these ideas. While I am focusing on a particular era in world history, I expect this work to cause myself and readers to notice current ways in which the body is used as a tool that serves and/or reflects its environment.
How was the human body seen as useful to the Soviet Union, as something that could transcend physicality and conform to the environment surrounding it?
Project Design
Research examples of art, literature, and other work by Soviet creatives that explore these ideas. Find patterns within the work: Who are they speaking to? Are they in support of collectivism or critiquing it? Does their work do both? Find cohesive examples that can be worked together to give a detailed investigation into this idea.
Organize this research and focus on the examples that most peak my interest and aid my work. Develop a 7-8 page academic paper using this research, using the help of peer reviews and critiques.
This work will be a culmination of the knowledge I have learned studying at UIC. Throughout my degree I have focused on art history, with a particular focus in Eastern European studies. I plan to use this paper in the future, when I apply to graduate school.
Timeline
