Art always should have something to say, in my opinion. It must move us or concern us. We need artist activists to let people realize what we hope to look at matters that affect us. Regular art should not be “pretty” and only decorative ether; people should demand more from art. Like we demand from politicians, police, etc. We don’t always have to do it, but to shape the dignity of an individual and a society, we can. In “Why Artistic Activism,” Stephen Duncombe and Steve Lambert reflect on a couple of great points:to make a change, to have a meaning, it’s nothing new, to connect with others, to build new possibilities, and more. ArtActivism can be powerfully critical!
Activism will never be just a hobby or something to do. Activists make a difference with action and always have something critical to say. The action via art can be in social media memes, posters, poetry stands, pins on T-Shirts, documentary movies, and, yes, paintings and theater plays….. Anyone can do it. You don’t need to be a fine art or history major to do it, but if you have an idea, you can express it only by emphasizing your opinion. Opinions about contemporary problems are sometimes visible in social media, marches, modern prose, anger at schools, and on the street in forms of gravity or songs. Art Activism isn’t precisely described as a clean, polite art form of expression. It’s not meant to give visuals, please, but to say what’s wrong around us.
Activists can change a rule of an artist. A scientist can explain how global warming is affecting the earth, and an artist can do a project where he asks people to speak to the earth and explain new modern behavior. These two very different forms of communication can help us understand the danger of higher temperatures and how our earth is a friend we need to care about. One of my favorite activist artists is JR-he is terrific!