Sots Art

Unknown photo/artist

Sots Art can be expressed through both a visual and literary medium. It is a very interesting element and art movement that occurred during the time of the Soviet Union. Sots Art essentially parodies or travesties Socialist Realism, which was controversial to do during the time. So, artists masked their overarching commentary through symbolism. Socialist Realism often subjected the lower working classes and portrayed them having positive emotions towards all things Soviet Union. Sots Art was critiquing the wrongness of Socialist Realism and was saying without directly stating that affairs in the Soviet Union were not a pleasant and great as they may seem.

Through the misrepresentation of reality, Sots Art artists could send their messages to society in a way that couldn’t necessarily get them into trouble. Kustanovich argues in, , that Sots Art was a “Sots Art was a transitional stage from the era  between mythological mentality to the era of mythless postmodernity which seems to be encroaching on Russian life.”

Alexander Kosolapov

Kustanovich further describes how “Sot’s Art function is to close the gap between the sacred and profane in order to undermine the sacred.” This sort of parody can be viewed as a rebellion against popular culture. Which was sort of an underground movement to resist the current regime.