MERRY CHRISTMAS

It’s that time of year. The only time of year when it’s okay to drag a tree into the living room, sing as loud as you want, stuff your face with cookies, and sport the Christmas sweater. A good Christmas sweater combines all your favorite Christmas characters (Rudolph, Frosty, Mrs. Claus etc.) or (literally) screams “TIS THE SEASON”. Here Garth and Kat work their Christmas vests complete with matching turtlenecks.


And it seems that no other source could have inspired Kazimir Malevich’s “De Sportlieden”. Malevich (1875-1935) was a Russian painter, born in Ukraine, and originator of the Avant-garde Suprematist movement. A pioneer of geometric abstract art Malevich was influenced by Cubism and wrote his manifesto From Cubism to Suprematism, laying the foundations of a new art movement that focused on fundamental geometric forms. Although famous for his “White on White”, Malevich gives us a little more detail to unearth here. Four men stand stiff, their bodies divided into quarters, with their legs split from the waist. Varying holiday colors are placed on the men’s clothing, and they appear with half-colored faces and mismatched shoes. Their turtlenecks peak out from their sweaters as they stand frontal and composed (in fact expressionless). Malevich depicts these men flaunting their Christmas sweaters boldly and without excuse as a lesson for those who wish to spread holiday cheer, no matter the detriment to their pride—don’t let the Christmas sweater wear you.