Fire Flower (made in Cooperation with Galyna Zubchenko and Victor Zaretsky) 1960

Alla Horska, in cooperation with Galyna Zubchenko and Victor Zaretsky, created "Fire Flower" as a mosaic of smalt – a type of colored glass – in Soviet Ukraine. This radiant piece, with its sharp geometric shapes and vibrant colors, presents a fascinating mix of traditional Ukrainian folk art and modern, even avant-garde, aesthetics. Think about the political context: Ukraine, though part of the Soviet Union, maintained a distinct cultural identity. Artists like Horska often navigated a complex path, incorporating national motifs while adhering to Soviet ideological constraints. The "Fire Flower" embodies this tension. The flower itself, a common symbol in Ukrainian art, is reimagined through a constructivist lens. The star shapes, a ubiquitous Soviet symbol, are integrated into the design but reinterpreted with a sense of folk-inspired dynamism. To understand this artwork fully, one needs to delve into the history of Ukrainian art under Soviet rule. Resources like archival documents, artists' manifestos, and critical essays can reveal the intricate negotiations between artistic expression and political power. It’s a reminder that art’s meaning is always shaped by the social and institutional forces of its time.