Today in the Brown Daily Herold, Ben Hyman writes about the Bell Gallery's current exhibit of Soviet Art:

"An eye-opening new exhibition, "Views and Re-Views: Soviet Political Posters and Cartoons," invites viewers to reconsider overly simplistic characterizations of the style of Soviet art known as Socialist Realism. On view until Oct. 19, the show encourages a recognition of the considerable artistic value and enduring relevance of political art from the former Soviet Union, which is too often dismissed as simple propagandistic depictions of flag-waving proletarians and smiling peasants.

"Featuring over 160 works, the sprawling exhibition fills List Art Center's David Winton Bell Gallery and extends to the John Hay Library and satellite spaces in the Rockefeller Library and the Cogut Center for the Humanities. Bell Gallery Director Jo-Ann Conklin and Professor Emeritus of History Abbott "Tom" Gleason curated the show.

"'Views and Re-Views' presents a tremendous breadth of material, from delicate ink-and-pencil drawings to enormous posters in bold, geometric designs that dominate whole walls with swaths of vibrant red. The show is primarily organized into niches devoted to a particular artist or theme, with wall text providing helpful historical context. As Gleason explains in his catalog essay, the exhibition strives to highlight an absolutist strain in these works that broadcasts a certainty about the boundaries of good and evil.

Okay, so it might not cure your hangover, but it will make you feel like you've had a daily dose of culture... and who doesn't need that after a weekend of body shots?