Banksy: "Love is in the Air" 2003
I chose this piece because it speaks on a relevant topic relating to Palestine. The graffiti was originally made to speak after the Israeli government built a wall to separate Palestine from the Jewish Israeli population. Banksy expresses throwing flowers instead of a Molotov in Jerusalem as a critical comparison to apartheid. Choosing to use a symbol like flowers represents a feeling of hope, or longing for peace, emphasizing the need for peaceful protest instead of violence. Banksy's work is activist because it stimulates perception, while calling for change. Aesthetically speaking, the subject matter is spoken through the subtle use of color. The figure looks highly vectorized in an all-black silhouette, while the lone use of color transitions a viewer's eye to the focal point away from the aggressive stance of the protestor.
WHY ARTISTIC ACTIVISM
1. "the principles governing civic action are more likely to be found in the world of popular culture and entertainment, and artistic expression and reception, than in textbooks of political science."
All principles regarding civic action are more or less an outlet for others to use their voice. In the world today, things like memes offer immediate access to societal issues, and the platform to speak on change at the tap of a finger in a relatable format. Artistic activism is important to promote civic action for similar reasons, using human emotion to reach diverse audiences. Human emotion is necessary to engage, it's the reason we read, watch particular movies, or support certain influential figures. Without things like pop culture, entertainment, and the arts, empowering citizens would lack individuality, and strip others of feeling unique.
2. "I'm not political," is a phrase one hears often; it's a rare person, however, that doesn't express themself through some form of creativity."
I hate showing an art project to my mother because she always says: "I don't know Chris, I'm just not an artsy, creative person like that." Which is an absurd thing to say about oneself.
My mom's rhetoric highlights the ways people can express themselves unconsciously, artistically and politically. One can say they are not political, but their views are shown through choices like cultural consumption, body language, and conversations about identity. One may want to sway from politics out of fear their views are too subjective. On the other hand, one can say they are not artistic, but love to dance, and prepare dinners, yet fear their practice is not appreciated by the obnoxiously elitist visual art culture. Politics and art are critiqued through opinions. Therefore, nobody has the right to assume their tastes/views are any better than the next person's. Simply saying that one is not "political" or "artistic" does not dismiss them from having a voice within these areas of discussion.
AN INTRODUCTION TO ACTIVIST ART
1. "Political art can also be found as early as the 18th century. Jacques-Louis David was an active member of the French revolution, and his works often depicted his political affiliations."
I love that this article mentions Jacques-Louis David's work. I find his political paintings to be extremely powerful given the intent to alter power dynamics during the French revolution. In the "Oath of the Horatii" piece at the Louvre Museum, David uses the swearing of an oath to symbolize sacrifice in the pursuit of free rein. Instead of presenting God-like figures, the artist presents three brothers to depict ordinary people defending Rome. This is powerful since it takes a jab at the French aristocracy. Strength and virtue should reside within the people, not the ruling class.
2. Guerilla Girls: "Only five percent of the artists in the Modern Art section of the Met are female, but 85 percent of the nudes depict women." -1989
"Less than four percent of the artists in the Modern Art sections are women, but 76 percent of the nudes are female." -2012
The fact that the Guerilla Girls received similar results on a study conducted more than twenty years apart reveals a fetish within the art world. If the idea of studying a nude is for artistic practice, shouldn't the case studies be diverse? How skilled is a figurative artist who can only depict one type of body? And what impact does an audience make by not asking these questions?
I remember taking my first figure drawing class where I had drawn/painted a collection of models studies-both male and female. However, when I would share my works with peers, the female studies were always quick to be a topic of conversation, whereas the male studies were dismissed without context. I held a great deal of pride in the hard work I put forward into each piece, honing on skills like proportions, so the divide of acclaim upset me. But looking back, I realize the mixed reviews about my artworks were a reflection of patriarchal norms rather than my skills. I hold a great deal of respect for the Guerilla Girls, using their platform to challenge systemic injustices to empower Women artists.
THE 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL WORKS OF AMERICAN PROTEST ART SINCE WORLD WAR II
1. Daniel Joseph Martinez's Museum Tags: Second Movement (Overture) "I can't Imagine Ever Wanting to be White"
During the 1993 Whitney Biennial, museum goers were given proof of admission tags reading: "I Can't Imagine Ever Wanting to be White." As the pieces were met with intense criticism, it has become a passage to address difficult issues like white privilege, particularly in the art market. As a white person, I feel it is critical to be aware of ideas like white fragility and how white ignorance plays a role in drawing out racial inequality. By having to wear a tag of admission, every visitor is forced to confront the subject matter, even those wanting to barricade behind a fence of whiteness to avoid racial scrutiny. Martinez's work is a beautiful rendition to educate the audience at large.
2. Felix Gonzalez-Torres's work brings the "domestic devastation of AIDS into the public realm."
I find Torres's work captivating for its unapologetic simplicity. Using the void image of an empty bed, no text is needed to capture the mourning of loss for someone you love. The artist had lost his partner from complications of the AIDS virus a year before this piece's installation in 1992. There were 24 billboards of the same image put up to represent the date of his death in January that previous year. As an artist, it is fascinating to see personal messages conveyed directly without delving too far into personal narratives.
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