ACTIVIST ART AN INTRODUCTION
ACTIVIST ART AN INTRODUCTION
Artistic Activism combines the emotional power of art with the strategic planning of activism to bring about social change. This approach recognises that while art and activism may have distinct purposes and effects, they can work in harmony to create meaningful and lasting impact. Also, emotions play a significant role in motivating people to act and make changes. However, social change is not only about changing policies or structures but also about changing hearts and minds. Art can challenge perspectives, provoke thought, and foster empathy. When coupled with effective activism, art can amplify the messages being conveyed and create a deeper connection with audiences.
The fusion of art and activism has given rise to a powerful and versatile tool for creating awareness and managing to break down the traditional boundaries that once separated art from the public sphere and activism from the creative world. By integrating art into public spaces like town squares, shopping centres, and billboards, activist artists can reach a wider and more diverse audience. This accessibility is crucial for engaging people who might not typically visit museums or attend traditional activist demonstrations. The use of unconventional locations also generates a sense of surprise and novelty, capturing the attention of passers-by and encouraging them to stop and reflect on the issues being addressed.
In this era of digital communication, where social media platforms allow for the rapid sharing of visual content, artistic activism has found an ideal platform for dissemination. Images, performances, and experiences that evoke strong emotions are more likely to be shared and go viral. Nevertheless, Artistic activism doesn't just serve as a means of conveying messages, it has the power to challenge norms, spark conversations and discussions, and inspire critical thinking. Art's creative and often metaphorical nature can bring attention to complex issues in ways that are more relatable and understandable to a broader audience. This ability to resonate with people on an emotional level can lead to greater empathy and understanding of the underlying problems being addressed.
Furthermore, the malleability of artistic activism allows for the incorporation of various forms of art, such as visual arts, performances, poetry, music, and more. This diversity allows artists to choose the medium that best aligns with their message and creative expression, while also catering to different preferences and sensibilities in the audience. Therefore, activist art not only exposes socio-political issues but also plays a significant role in shaping cultural discourse and influencing social attitudes. By merging the power of art with the urgency of activism, artists can create a lasting impact that goes beyond traditional methods of advocacy. This blending of creative expression and social consciousness has proven to be a potent way of driving change and pushing for a more just and equitable world.
THE WORK OF ACTIVIST ARTISTS – A BIT OF BACKGROUND
Art has a rich history of being used as a powerful tool for making statements and protests throughout various cultures and periods. From ancient cave paintings to contemporary forms of expression, art has consistently served to communicate dissent, challenge authority, and reflect societal perspectives. Let's explore some more examples:
Cave Paintings
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| Prehistoric rock paintings, Tassili N Ajjer, Algeria |
In prehistoric times, cave paintings served as a way for early humans to communicate their perspectives on their environment, wildlife, and possibly even social dynamics.
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| Craftsmen, Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky (c. 1390-1349 BCE) |
Greek Art
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| Terracotta calyx-krater (mixing bowl), 350-25 BCE; Terracotta roundels; Theatrical mask. 1st century BCE |
Sculptures and pottery often portrayed moments of heroism, and mythological tales, and critiqued and ironized on aspects of governance.
Renaissance Art
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| Leonardo da Vinci, Politica Allegory, 1495. The Royal Collection |
It was a period of cultural transformation, and artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo used their works to explore human nature, challenge religious norms, and convey subtle political ideas.
Afterwards, more recent history, Political Cartoons, Graffiti and Street Art, Feminist Art, Civil Rights Movement Art, and with the rise of the internet and social media, Modern Digital Activism with hashtags, viral images, and digital campaigns raise awareness about issues like climate change, human rights, and more.
Let's investigate...
In the 18th century, Jacques-Louis David who, during the French Revolution (1789-1799), showed his full support to the cause, painted The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons (1787).
The work depicts the moment in Roman history when Lucius Junius Brutus, one of the founders of the Roman Republic, faces the tragic choice of ordering the execution of his own sons who were involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the newly established republic and restore the monarchy. David's painting is indeed a powerful allegory of civic virtue, sacrifice, and dedication to the nation. It represents Brutus as a symbol of a leader who places the well-being of the republic above personal feelings and family ties, thus embodying the ideal of selflessness for the greater good. The emotional turmoil on his face reflects the internal struggle he faced when making this difficult decision.
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| The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons, Jacques-Louis David, 1789, Louvre, Paris |
However, the painting also caused controversy due to its subject matter and its potential to incite further unrest. The depiction of a father ordering the deaths of his children was seen by some as morally troubling, and it raised questions about the limits of sacrifice for the nation. As a result, the painting was banned by the French government, but due to the protests from the people, the government had to permit its exhibition again.
Gustave Courbet was a prominent figure in the Realism movement, which emerged in the mid-19th century aiming to portray the everyday lives of ordinary people. The artist was a key proponent of this movement and believed in creating art that was socially relevant and relatable to the masses.
The Stonebreakers (1849) is an example of Courbet's commitment to depicting the reality of labour and social conditions. The painting features two labourers engaged in breaking stones at the side of a road. The figures are portrayed with stark realism, dressed in worn and tattered clothing, covered in dust, and engaged in a gruelling and repetitive task. This image of manual labour highlights the harshness and inequality of peasant life, drawing attention to the difficult circumstances faced by the working class.
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| The Stonebreakers, Gustave Courbet, 1849 |
The painting was lauded, by some, for its socialist message and its ability to communicate the struggles of the lower class, representing the injustice faced by the labourers.
Courbet's involvement in political and social causes led to his clashes with authorities. His association with socialist, republican and anarchic movements resulted in his arrest and exile to Switzerland, where he died in 1877.
As mentioned, references to activist art are found in ancient history; however, the emergence of the Dadaism movement during World War I marked a significant turning point in the history of activist art. The movement aimed to reject traditional artistic practices embracing irreverence and absurdity as powerful tools for expressing dissent and critiquing the violence and chaos of the war.
Dadaists used their art to critique and protest against the prevailing cultural and political conditions and created a new form of artistic expression that defied logic, reason, and traditional aesthetics. Also challenged the established orders by subverting traditional artistic techniques and embracing irrationalism, humour, spontaneity, freedom, quirkiness, emotional reactions, and irreverence. Through their interdisciplinary approach, artworks, performances, manifestos and writing, Dadaists reached a wider audience and made their statements more impactful, providing a unique lens through which to view the world.
Overall, the Dada movement's influence on activist art is significant, and its legacy continues to inspire artists and activists who use their creativity to engage with social and political issues, employing unconventional methods to provoke thought, conversation, and changes.
Marcel Duchamp, one of the most known Dada representatives, advocated for a philosophy of total freedom in art rejected cultural standards and values, and was thus dissatisfied with traditional definitions of what art could be. The most famous and controversial piece by the French painter is called Fountain (1917). An assault on the established art institutions, the urinal, a ready-made piece itself, an everyday object made of porcelain, presented as art, separated the new art from artistic tradition and criticised the socio-political conditions of that time.
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| Fountain, Marcel Duchamp, 1917 |
Duchamp was making a statement about the arbitrariness of artistic value and the power of context in shaping our perceptions of what is considered art. He challenged the notion that art was a traditional aesthetic beauty, and instead focused on the concept and idea behind the artwork. The piece remains relevant today because it continues to prompt discussions about the nature of art, the role of the artist, and the influence of institutions and context on the perception of value. It invites us to question what we consider art and encourages us to think more broadly about how artistic expression can challenge social norms and push the boundaries of creative discourse.
The consequences of World War I and the subsequent global conflicts led to a turbulent period in which social and political upheavals were widespread. During these times of uncertainty and change, artists and activists continued to use their creative skills and tools to express their views, raise awareness about pressing issues, and advocate for social change.
Let’s pick just a few...
Mexican artist Diego Rivera was a highly talented and influential painter, associated with the Muralist Movement. He rose to prominence during the Mexican Revolution of 1910, a political and societal turning point for the country. After years of oppression under the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, the Mexican people were furious with their government and frustrated by the living conditions. At the end of the violent and sanguinary revolution, Mexicans faced some political and societal changes and Rivera helped them, through his positive murals, understand and appreciate those changes that they had fought so hard for.
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| The Uprising, Diego Rivera, 1931 |
As a member of the Communist Party, he also included political messages and activist content in his large-scale murals, criticising Capitalism and the upper class, and often those were pointed as controversial.
One of the most famous related pieces is The Uprising (1931) where Rivera depicts working men and a woman holding her baby, fighting against the soldiers and oppression. This seems to be a riot, where the crowd of men is fended off under the attack of armed soldiers. The work can be interpreted as a symbol of class struggle and the collective resistance of workers. Even if the location is not explicit, we can assume it's somewhere in Latin America where such repression was common in the 1930s.
In an era without the internet nor easy and fast global communication, murals were an effective and important method of sharing art because they were easily accessible to the public.
Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, a name that resonates as one of the most prominent, influential and celebrated artists of the 20th century, is well known for being the pioneer of innovative styles, and the founder of the Cubist movement.
His political art, anti-war and anti-fascist works, have had a significant effect on public opinion and not only for increasing awareness about issues of the time, the atrocity of the war and the regime but also for shaking emotions and stimulating actions and changes among the people who saw them.
When fascism started to gain favour throughout Europe in the 30s-40s, Picasso became more involved in anti-fascist activism. He wanted to fight, through his art, against the regimes and promote social justice, so he joined the French Communist Party, of which he was a member until his death, in 1973. The artist once said that his activism was "the logical consequence of my whole life, of my whole work”. During this period, he created many artworks, and because of his great fame, he could expose the brutality of the fascist regime and support the cause.
From 1936 and 1939 the Spanish Civil War was fought between the Republicans and the Nationalists, and in 1937 he responded to the nonsense violence with one of his most famous and powerful paintings, Guernica. Picasso illustrated the horrible consequences of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica effectuated, in support of Francisco Franco’s Nationalist Forces, by German and Italian air forces, which caused several civilian victims. The painting employs a monochromatic palette, a choice that adds dark and disturbing surroundings, and the cubist style brings a sense of disorientation and fragmentation, illustrating the broken lives and communities devastated by the war.
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| Guernica, Pablo Picasso, 1937, Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid |
Guernica has become a very important anti-war and anti-fascist statement which is still an icon of peace activism, and within art history, synonymous with anti-war art all around the world. Picasso used his art as a crucial tool to shape public opinion and rally support for political causes.
Martha Rosler is an American conceptual, mixed-media artist, popular for her ability to connect and illustrate, with an ironic sense of humour, through collage, causes and effects of the most serious issues of our time: war, violence, capitalism, environment and media.
During an interview, to a question on the difference between doing activist, work and an artist being an activist, she answered that activists work hard with a specific community or a specific issue and that she is an artist, she makes art. Activism is an ongoing process, and it’s true that I worked with activists on that project, but one thing is certain: activists don’t expect intractable problems to be solved by an exhibition or a political campaign and certainly not in six months.
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| One piece of the 'House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home', Martha Rosler, 1967-1972 |
One of her significant works is the Vietnam War series. House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home (1967-1972). The artwork is a photomontage where Rosler combined a happy household disrupted with war footage, wittily connecting American capitalism and consumerist culture with the imperialist forces they finance. Her pop art collages began as a protest against the war in Vietnam, but with time became very contemporary, evolving to include the most recent American wars, such as the one in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not much appreciated by wealthy people, often the Museums’ most frequent visitors, who often fund or profit from such wars.
Less known in the Western world, Vann Nath, is a Khmer painter, artist, writer, and human rights activist.
In 1978 he was imprisoned and tortured during the Khmer Rouge regime (Democratic Kampuchea), which went on from 1975 to 1979. Nath was one of the only 7 survivors of the genocide, kept alive only to portray Pol Pot's image in paintings and sculptures. After the liberation from the Tuol Sleng prison (which I visited, together with the killing field, and I will never forget), he intensively worked on representing and describing the horrific nonsense of Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge madness.
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| Classroom Turned Prison, Vann Nath, Phnom Penh, 1980 |
Vann Nath left us memoirs, paintings and a must-see documentary film from 2003, S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killin Machine, for which he worked with Cambodian film director Rithy Pahn. All his paintings are very impactful, as they depict the tortures inflicted by the Khmer Rouge soldiers on innocent men. As a sign of respect, he decided to paint underwear to cover the bodies of the prisoners, otherwise naked, to give them that dignity that belongs to the Khmer culture. The painting of waterboarding at Cambodia’s Toul Sleng Prison is one of Nath's pieces.
He died in 2011, after fighting long-standing health issues, most certainly developed during his imprisonment.
Keith Haring is a well-known 1980s pop-style graffiti artist, coming from the New York graffiti subculture of the time. He was supporting the fight against the government’s silence and inaction on the AIDS issue; also made posters and marched for nuclear disarmament, sexual freedom, and against apartheid. Used his cartoon-style art to highlight various causes, playing a great role in the New York street culture of the 80s.
Haring produced many artworks around the world, not only in New York, for example in Berlin, on the Berlin Wall just three years before its fall. All of them involve a social message. Once he said: “Art should be something that liberates your soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further.”
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| Ignorance = Fear /Silence = Death: FIGHT AIDS ACT UP Keith Haring,1989 |
The most recognizable and striking example of Keith Haring’s political and activist works is probably Ignorance = Fear /Silence = Death: FIGHT AIDS ACT UP (1989). This poster represents three figures reproducing the three wise monkeys' proverb “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”, as a reflection of the struggle those living with HIV/AIDS were facing; and the failure of the government, religious, health, and social institutions that abandoned the people infected; the failure to properly acknowledge the epidemic, and the wrong information surrounding the disease, of which he unfortunately died in 1990.
An anonymous group of American female artists, Guerrilla Girls was founded in 1985 to fight (with humour) unfairness, sexism, racism and injustice with real facts. Their activism challenges the sexist and racist aspects of the art world through their activism, publicly questioning the male-dominated art industry through posters, videos, books, and banners, as well as interventions at art sites, all over the world.
The members opted to be anonymous and decided to wear gorilla masks in public and use pseudonyms that refer to historic female artists, activists and writers such as Frida Kahlo, Käthe Kollwitz, Gertrude Stein and Harriet Tubman. The artists said that identities are hidden because issues matter more than individual identities, "Mainly, we wanted the focus to be on the issues, not on our personalities or our own work."
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| Do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?, Guerrilla Girls, 1989 |
Guerrilla Girls’ most famous work is, without a doubt, Do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum? This is a bold billboard asking the question that arose after a survey taken at the Met Museum, according to which, in 1989 only 5% of the artists in the Modern Art sections of the museum are female, but 85% of the nudes represent women. The poster criticises and condemns the fact that women artists have been purposely and energetically neglected by the art industry and links this exclusion to the way women have been used merely as subjects in art, and often naked. The Guerrilla Girls conducted two more surveys in 2005 and 2012 and unfortunately, the outcome was similar, showing female artists constant struggle.
Another anonymous artist is Banksy, a street artist from the United Kingdom, known for his politically loaded artworks in public locations worldwide. He has sprayed cities from London to New York, Barcelona to Paris, Bethlehem and West Bank. The artist, with his work, addresses issues such as war, poverty, consumerism, terrorism, political authority and inequality, often depicting children, soldiers, police officers, and celebrities.
His favourite technique, stencil, was thought by the artist to make his work faster, however, he said that “as soon as I cut my first stencil, I could feel the power there. I also like the political edge. All graffiti is low-level dissent, but stencils have an extra history. They've been used to start revolutions and to stop wars”. Banksy has inspired a new generation of street artists to use their work as a form of social and political protest.
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| Bomb Hugger, Banksy, Anti War march, London, 2003 |
In support of the Anti-War March (against the war in Iraq) which took place in London in 2003, Banksy created a number of signs, sent out through some of the artist’s friends. One of these stencils on cardboard that everyone remembers is the Bomb Hugger, representing a little girl hugging a bomb with her eyes closed, and a red NO written capital letters on her forehead.
Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist from Beijing based in Berlin, is one of the most esteemed living artists in the world. He challenges and encourages critical debate using different media such as sculpture, architecture, installations, music, photography and film.
He discusses another very important social issue, complex and controversial through his installation, Soleil Levant, which debates the dangerous journey of refugees trying to reach Europe. It opened on United Nations International Refugee Day (June 20 – October 1, 2017) at Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen. The artist covered the windows of the building with more than 3500 life jackets worn by the refugees arriving at Lesbos (Greece) by crossing the sea.
Soleil Levant, Ai Weiwei, 2017, Kunsthal-Charlottenborg
Those jackets surely prevented many people from drowning, however, others were given fake lifejackets and died on their way to Europe. Ai Weiwei’s work highlights the dangers of these journeys and tries to raise public awareness of the crisis of the refugees. Through this display, the suffering and struggle of these people are made concrete and real for those who in Europe feel distant and detached from these disturbing events that have been in the daily news for many years now. He aims to focus on the widespread humanitarian crisis that the world is experiencing right now. The name of the work is inspired by the painting of Claude Monet 'Impression, Soleil Levant' (1872), which depicts the political and social reality of its time, at the end of the Franco-Prussian war.
Tania Bruguera is an artist and activist born in Havana, Cuba. She is pretty much focused on installations and performance art, which she uses to explore the relationship between art, activism and social change in works that examine the social effects of political and economic power and defines herself as an initiator rather than an author.
In her work, she discusses themes such as political authority, control, and power. It’s centred on issues of power and control and, in many of her works, question and describe Cuba's historical events. Because of her activism, she has been arrested several times.
Her work Tatlin's Whisper #5, 2008 at Tate Modern, is part of a series of performances, which refers to the Soviet artist Vladimir Tatlin who designed a tower for the Third International which was an association of national communist parties. However, the monument was never built. Just like his monument, which is still remembered despite never being built, Bruguera’s work produces an unconventional monument through the experience of live events, using memory as the means through which the monument survives.
Tatlin's Whisper #5, Tania Bruguera, Tate Modern, 2016
The #5, consists of two policemen patrolling the exhibition space of a museum, on two horses. With the help of these horses, they use different crowd control techniques that they learned at the police academy such as separating people into groups or making people move in certain directions. Bruguera said that it was important to her that the audience was unaware of the fact that the actions and movements of the policemen were a part of the work of art. The work reflects on the complex relationship between authority and the people they intend to control. The artist once said that her biggest inspiration for this performance was the injustice in the world.
Conclusion
The power of art and activism inspire positive change and, at times, be misused or misunderstood. While protest art can be a potent tool for social change and raising awareness, its effectiveness can be undermined by individuals or movements that approach it in a reckless or contradictory manner. Indeed, there are instances where individuals or groups might use art for their own ego-driven or radical agendas, without truly understanding or respecting the message and history behind the art form. This can lead to confusion, misinterpretation, and even backlash from the public, detracting from the original intentions of the artists and activists who worked diligently to convey a meaningful message. Maintaining the integrity of the message and the spirit of activism is essential for the effectiveness of protest art. Clear communication, understanding historical contexts, and considering the broader impact of actions are crucial elements to ensure that the art serves its intended purpose. Collaborative efforts between artists, activists, and communities can help align their goals and create a unified message that resonates with a wider audience. It's also important to recognize that art and activism are dynamic and diverse fields, encompassing a wide range of perspectives, approaches, and voices. While some actions might lead to negative public reactions, others can spark productive discussions and inspire positive change. It's a reminder that the power of art lies in its ability to provoke thought and emotion, which can sometimes lead to discomfort or controversy. In the end, the purity of the message and the effectiveness of the activist actions depend on the collective efforts of those who are committed to driving meaningful changes. Through ongoing dialogue, reflection, and a commitment to the values of justice and progress, activist art can continue to be a driving force for positive transformation in society.
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