Russia in Color

This course explores the application, evolution, and perception of color in art, art history, literature, and popular culture - in (Soviet) Russia and emigration. Working closely with the Cantor Arts Center collection at Stanford, this course pairs artifacts art with theoretical and cultural readings (media theory, philosophy, literature, science). With a particular focus on Russian and East European objects (including those by Russian icons, Soviet posters, and prints by Wassily Kandinsky and Marc Chagall), the course will include a basic introduction to color terminology, guest lectures on the technologies color printing, the science of color perception, and a hands-on practicum in color mixing/pigmentation. In addition to direct encounters with material and artifact, our course will also seek to better understand the digital experience of art objects in general, and color in particular. No knowledge of Russian is required.