[Post 2] - Art & Activism: Intro

'The Dinner Party' by Judy Chicago, 1979

Art has always been closely intertwined with politics, especially in the cases of upheaval and resistance. Visual aids are the most digestible and accessible things we can use to communicate ideas with every human being, regardless of language barriers, crowd size and diversity, educational background, and so many other factors that can otherwise confuse important discussions. Though, as we’ve seen through various artistic movements, sometimes things can get lost in translation.

Right now, the United States is going through an increasingly volatile overhaul into fascism. We are a country that has adopted an intense sense of nationalism, has voted in a dictatorial president, and has begun forcible suppression of opposition to the government. To some, this maybe doesn’t sound or appear as dangerous as it is, and it’s purposely played off in the media as negligible bumps in the road to true ‘freedom’ by those in power. The reality is that we’ve long since been involved in an oligarchy, but are now swiftly moving into truly seeing the largest country in the world become openly run by the richest people on the planet, to their benefit and to everyone else’s detriment.

The natural question for most is: how do we combat this? How do we stop this? What can I do?

We can do art, my friends. Serious art, fun art, helpful, wholesome, idea-expanding art.

Dispatchwork by Jan Vormann, 2015

This initiative is not a catch-all solution, and I hope that I can express how important it is for us to have grassroots efforts to have our voices and dollars heard loud and clear, or how we must have representatives, even in a minority, FIGHTING for us tooth and nail to see the will of the people done. There’s countless things we must do, all of it difficult and exhausting work, to stand up for one another and our right to an equal life. What I mean to say is that after you and your friends have called your representatives, after you’ve marched, and voted and talked to other people to try and sway their opinion towards a new empathy they’ve not known…. What do you do with yourself? Many of us, myself included, feel terribly lost and scared by our future here in the states, but also have energy or the time to invest into something more.

Art is, by no accident, one of the most therapeutic connections we can make with ourselves and with others. It helps us to communicate our feelings to anyone and everyone, and it has the power to make those with similar concerns feel as if they are being heard and represented. Even abstract art, which is often the subject of ridicule and consternation by people who don’t understand it upon first glance, inevitably has some kind of effect on its viewers.

Untitled, by Fujiko Shiraga, 1961

A perfectly historic and relevant example to our current crisis comes from the untitled piece shown above by Fujiko Shiraga, a painting created in 1961 as Japan was slowly recovering from the horrific and devastating end of the second world war. Shiraga put forth great effort in her work and the inauguration of the Gutai Art Association, which was a group of artists who wished to have open dialogues with other abstract expressionist painters in the USA and Europe. Their goal was to advocate for the previously oppressed Japanese people, artists in particular, to have a means of individual self-expression at its most sincere approach without consequence. This was the freedom to openly feel again. In the same way that Japan worked to escape total military dictatorship and grow into a constitutional monarchy, the United States is about to need every piece of artistic expression it can possibly muster, especially with the reach of our online connections to other places. The world can understand that there are many of us who are not willing to lie flat and let our democracy be dismantled without a fight, but sharing our works of art is a consistent reminder that we are still here and fighting when news outlets begin to change their narrative to match that of the government’s wishes. 

Because there’s so many different aspects of political commentary that exist, but are equally important to the rights of individuals and the country as a whole, I wanted to begin a blog series of commentary on political or ‘activist’ art from around the world. It’s a means of showing how similar we all are to one another, even if expressed through unusual formats, such as sculpture, photography, illustration, painting, installation and other forms of visual media. I hope that it proves to be educational, but more importantly, I hope it inspires readers to create and share their own art for good causes. Each post will dissect art movements and individual artists and pieces of work that represent the ideas within, as well as leave off with a personal assignment (which I'll be participating in as well!) that you can do to create something yourself while thinking on all the different ideas presented by these other artists from history.

To close out this introduction, here are some articles I read to address my own fears for the state of things at this moment. There’s both a relief and a discomfort in seeing that we’ve faced these perils before as a human race, but I hope that learning about these subjects helps to empower you to action, big or small. 

Uncovering America: Activism & Protest X-Tra’s Abstration: Politics and Possibilities EMP’s Artistic Revolution: The Cultural and Political Impact of Abstract Art Street Wise Art’s Photography as Activism Artsper Magazine’s Artists of the 70s: Political Commentary and Abstraction Art Institute of Chicago: Art & Activism

Political Calavera by Leopoldo Méndez, 1942

HOMEWORK: Take a little time to research political art and artists. Choose one piece of political or activist art and observe the image by itself, without commentary or input by the artist. Take some notes on what this piece makes you feel, or think about. Compare your notes to information about the piece you chose to see if there are any similarities. Here are some questions for you to examine an art piece and form your own thoughts on it prior to learning more in-depth information about what the piece was intended to mean:

1. There are no right or wrong ways of reading a piece of art. Look at the piece you chose and consider your immediate reaction to it.

2. Be open to some internal discomfort, as many pieces often share some kind of emotional response from the artist. When you look at the piece you chose, how might this art be providing a positive emotional expression? How about a negative one?

3. Help us see through YOUR eyes. Looking at your chosen piece of work, does it evoke any memories or experiences of your own that you can share?