The short-essay on Activist Art presents a climate in which particular artists submitted their practices to callings of "greater conviction". The article discusses the messages of these artists as well as the means by which they made an impact.
Please read and research this movement then post your personal response as well as two images,
in the same format as the previous posting. Please be careful when finding work that describes itself as "activist". Be careful to make sure the works you find reflect the approach to art described in the article.
Thanks,
Brandon
due Tuesday 2/19
10 points
If I understand correctly, activist art is unique from protest art in that its goal is to activate the public and raise awareness around an issue, and not necessary to push a specific agenda. Whereas protest art is rebellious in nature, activist art is not necessarily a cry from the oppressed to the oppressed, but is a cry to those in positions of power, as well. Artists among the marginalized factions of society have incorporated whatever they see that works in advertising and propaganda media into their messages, imbued with artistic vision. It seems that while some activist art is subtle enough to require a little bit of thought, it usually relies on an initial shock and a subsequent, relatable idea that observers can both grab onto and be compelled out of their comfort zones by. I found the works of Barbara Kruger to be just that—shocking and yet relatable, so I can see why activist groups have appropriated her methods. Jenny Holzer’s messages I didn’t get, but the idea of projecting a message onto a public building seems like a great way to reach an audience. The Center for Artistic Activism states their goal thus: “Our goal is to make more creative activists and more effective artists.”
ReplyDeleteArtist: Lynsey Addario
Work: Congo/Women: Portraits of War, the Democratic Republic of Congo Revealing an epidemic of sexual violence
Link: http://www.artworksprojects.org/our-projects/congowomen/
This is a collection of photographs, but I actually am referring to the one that shows up on the page when you click on the link.
Artist: Jill Magid
Work: Bring Back the Glam
Link: http://www.jillmagid.net/SystemAzure.php
--Sonya
Artists like Ai Weiwei can become lightning rods in the battle of free speech in oppressive regimes. Expression is always more powerful when you have to fight so hard to be heard. I don't think that activist art in this country has the potential to be as powerful as it has been in the past, because we just don't have that much censorship. If you are in the United States and you want to say it, you can. You may not get it on CNN, but you can say it. Not so in China for instance, where that message is more powerful because of that.
ReplyDeleteArtist: Ai Weiwei
Work: "grass mud horse covering the middle" which apparently sounds very like "F*** your mother, the Communist party central committee" in Chinese
Link: http://assets2.bigthink.com/system/tinymce_assets/25/original/x0_408630.jpeg?1343316681
Artist: CS Stanley
Work: Rigs of War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rigs_Of_War,_art_created_by_CS_Stanley.jpg
ACTIVIST ART
ReplyDeleteThe Activist Art movement seems like a poliatical tool that created a visual pursuassion to demand the publics attention. During times of a public crisis, like the womens movement, some fearless artists felt the way to voice their opinion was to have it blaring out on tall public buildings, like Jenny Holzer-guerrilla's protest comments on buildings around Washington and New York. "She initially got her Truisms out to the public by anonymously putting up posters in the lower Manhattan area. These posters were made of pure black bold text on a white background." Other artists have joined in the bandwagon to let their words be an effective influence by emerging their art on t-shirts, stickers, protest posters, and even magazine covers. The womens movement activist art was not only portrayed by Holzer, but just as profoundly by Barbara Kruger. She spoke out for womens reproductive rights. Her ability to "Utilize her signature red, black, and white palette, (where) the woman's face is split along a vertical axis, showing the photographic positive and negative sides, suggesting a highly simplified inner struggle of good versus evil," allowed her to be an effective political tool to fight for women activist who thought they had a weak political platform.
The collaborations of the artists and activists created an impact that sent messages to the public supporting their cause. I also believe that if someone thinks they can make a difference then they can, and if they think that their voice will not make a difference then they are right again. If the impact affects only a few at first, it may flourish to many. So how will you get the word out? I thought Jenny Holzer's idea of starting out secretly was clever: "Holzer would linger around to listen in to people’s reacting to her Truisms, and by doing this she would determine if her work was successful." So she relied on what others thought about her opinions to value her successfulness. I did not agree with that for myself, but again I am not an activist artist either. Over all I think their messages were a positive impact socially and culturally on convictions of morals which many shared their passion, otherwise it would not have caused such a movement in the art and political world.
ACTIVIST ART by:
Artist Barbara Kruger
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.html
Title: Untitled (Your body is a battleground) (1989)
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ACTIVIST ART by:
Artist: Jenny Holzer-guerrilla
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/contemporary/images/JennyHolzer-Washington.jpg
Title: Washington
Artist: Jenny Holzer-guerrilla
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/contemporary/images/JennyHolzer-First-Impressions-1989.jpg
Title: Fist-Impressions
Sorry for the late post. I had my response but it was on "death of the Author". My packet seems to be out of order. Anyways, Activist Art! I really enjoy art that send a message so looking stuff up for this was fun for me. I like the use of the word "propaganda" in the article because that's generally what activists do: they appeal to their own believes in an extreme way and use that to make the other side look bad. Which that can either mean in a truthful way, or sometimes stretches the truth to get more people fighting for their cause.
ReplyDeleteI love Gran Fury's "Kissing Doesn't Kill"
Link: http://www.nyuaa.com/works/kissing-doesnt-kill-gran-fury/
because it has such a powerful meaning behind it. Even today people link HIV to homosexuals or African Americans when that simply is not the case at all.
Kozyndan's "A Moment of Contact." Link: http://www.treehugger.com/culture/sea-shepherds-sea-no-evil-activist-art-auction.html
was one of many visual and performance art that was for marine environmental awareness.