Political art is powerful, to say the least and art itself can influence just about anything in society today. Political art can spread a message without speech, a bias message, or explain a complex geopolitical issue to someone who may not follow politics.
A political artist's role is to present different views on global politics and social standards. The four main functions and aspects of political art are: propaganda, sociopolitical expression, propaganda and satire. Without going too much into what political art actually is, I'm going to explain how art can influence politics.
The Great Plastic Wave - Nic Mac
What Is Political Art?
Since ancient times, political art has been an integral part of the global social landscape. Art has been used to reflect society and bring attention to current issues. Since the dawn of American history, political art has existed. This is evident in iconic images like the donkey representing Democratic Party. Even though artists might not necessarily express their political views, art that is political can be used to promote a cause.
Artists can present their own views in their art, even if it is not related to their political beliefs. Their interpretation of the social environment is art. A great example of this is when artist Sherpard Fairey created the Obama iconic HOPE poster for his political campaign. Or perhaps the various artist currently releasing artwork on the way currently going on in Ukraine.
HOPE - Shepard Fairey aka OBEY
Art works that express criticism or have overtly political themes or messages can be called political art. Sociopolitical art helps people understand political and social issues by creating art that addresses specific social and political issues. It is also common for political artists to make their work propaganda. It is possible to use political art as a tool to protest.
What Does Context Mean In Political Art?
Artists create works that show disapproval of political decisions. Another element of political art is satire. Satire is another element of political art. It involves using humour to convey the humorous side of politics.
Artists have turned to street art and conceptual art to manage the distribution and context of their work, rather than selling it to banks and multinational corporations. A list of reputable artists have used their influence and fame to express their thoughts in politics through time, some of my favourites are Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Cleon Peterson and Andy Warhol.
Can Political Art Change The World?
Political art can influence the world because it has the power to make you biased towards a side or encourage you to look into a topic you may not be aware of. But I wouldn't go as far as saying it can change the world. There are many aspects to the relationship between art, politics and art.
The relationship between art and politics is multifaceted. Art can support current ideologies and political discourse. Art can be disruptive and used to change existing social and political realities. Art can address specific political issues and reinterpret social structures.
Many times, art is used to raise awareness about underrepresented political issues. Banksy is a street artist who is well-known for his politically charged art pieces that deal with a wide range of topics, including migration and war. In 2015, his activism reached its peak. In 2015, his activism reached its peak.
First, he visited Gaza and the West Bank, where he painted several murals to raise awareness of the decades-old Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Banksy gave a voice to the Palestinians who's hardship is never covered in mainstream media.
The power of art can be used to unite people around a goal. People can be inspired and empowered by art to make a difference in their environment. These socially engaged practices involve participation, bringing together people from different areas to work together to improve their neighbourhood. It is the art of asking questions about the world around you, and not providing answers.
Disclaimer: This Article is NOT investing or financial advice, we're sharing our opinion respectfully from a speculative point of view.
