Tag: cultural history
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Did a Woman Create Abstract Art? Notes on Hilma Af Klint
Helene Chaligne discusses the debate over who created the first Western abstract artwork. Although Kandinsky claimed primacy, Hilma af Klint’s influential spiritualist and botanical themes have only recently gained recognition.
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Punk over the Wall: Space and Identity in 1980s East Germany
Punk in East Germany during the late 1970s and 1980s emerged as a response to societal contradictions, fostering a distinct identity separate from Western ideals. Finely Farrell investigates how East German youths navigated oppression, sought expressive spaces, and shaped their unique subculture.
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‘England is Mine, It Owes Me a Living’: How Thatcherism Forged Manchester’s Musical Renaissance
Elizabeth Hill uncovers how Thatcher’s policies profoundly affected Manchester’s music scene, leading to the emergence of influential bands like Joy Division, The Smiths, and The Stone Roses. Their music expressed disillusionment with Thatcherism, creating a cultural identity for the North West and challenging London-centric narratives, while resonating with a generation facing socio-economic turmoil.
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Whitewashing the Moors: How Casting Choices Reveal Our Discomfort With Literary Otherness
Kayla Greer examines the controversial casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights, and how this prioritises marketability over Emily Brontë’s original portrayal of the character as racially ambiguous.
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Heritage and Amnesia: The Overlooked Legacy of Slavery in Britain’s Country Houses
Olivia Norbury uncovers the untold history of slavery in British country houses.
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Nasta Rojc: Tracing the Life of Croatia’s New Woman
Leila Hajek delves into the life and legacy of Croatian artist Nasta Rojc, who was negated from the art history canon due to her gender, sexuality and identity as Eastern European. Hajek explores her life, legacy and her significant contributions to women’s art.
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“The American Crime”: Butchery at Wounded Knee, and the End of the Plains Nations
Sam Mackenzie vividly reconstructs the tragic events of the massacre at Wounded KNee.
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The Factory, the Forest, and Folklore: The Origins of Hiking as a Radical Activity
Logan McKinnon explores how hiking can be understood as a radical act of reclaiming nature, fostering freedom and equality while challenging societal norms and structures.
Retrospect Journal 