Often times, art is used as a way to convey a change. Many artists used their own style to portray a message, usually social change. A New York artist named Vik Muniz uses his skills to show the struggles of garbage pickers, or catadores, in Brazil. Similarly, a student at the University of Texas, named Lakeem Wilson, uses art to create social change. Pawel Kuczynski uses his satirical paintings to highlight the world’s social issues. Each type of artwork has its limitations whether it is the lack of audience or lack of financial support. Whatever the limitation may be, these artists successfully spread their message to their audience using social media, or by making a documentary film. In the film, Wasteland, Vik Muniz visits Jardim Gramacho, …show more content…
He started to develop his passion for painting at a young age. He has since created many paintings that address social issues. As a result, he successfully managed to spark social change. When asked why he chose to use artwork as way to reach out to the community, he responded by saying, “I see visual art as a language in a sense…As far as visual art making social change, you can say different things in art that you wouldn’t be allowed to say in person to somebody” (Wilson; Samuels 4). Wilson clearly seems to be determined to continue in this pathway. He is effective because he represents a young generation of inspiring artists who have the power to change the world. Through such as social media, these young artists can reach out to other young artists. They can also use social media to inspire other people. Wilson has recently published a book, named “Red Throat House,” which he uses to document his artwork. This is somewhat similar to Muniz’s style because he too photographs his artwork. Wilson says that his early life has largely inspired his current form of art. His art also reflects his thoughts about his culture. “Since I’m black, my art reflects my views on black culture and what it means to be black in America…I’m not like a Malcolm X extremist or anything like that, but I do notice a lot of flaws or things that could be better in black communities …show more content…
Cities provide great painting surfaces and are easily seen my people. Banksy is an English artist, who is a graffiti satirist. He is well-known and has received many awards for his work. One of his most famous art piece is the “Girl with Balloon.” The balloon in the painting is floating away from the little girl. The message encourages the viewers to keep hope. “You Have Beautiful Eyes” is one of Banksy’s artwork to appear in a museum. This particular one is appeared at the New York Metropolitan Museum. He is regarded as one of the most influential satirists in the world. “Banksy is known for his provocative artwork displayed all over the world. He’s known for his political and social overtones in his art pieces” (Banksy: TESGA). His popularity is not only tied to his satirical art, but his identity is also interesting itself. Banksy’s true identity is still unknown to this day. He also gained popularity after a painting a series of images on a wall in the West Bank. BBC published an article on Banksy’s success after he painted nine images on the Palestinian border. Many of Banksy’s murals faced controversy. For example, “The Naked Man,” a mural depicting a husband who is suspects that his wife is being unfaithful to him. He happens to look out a window to try and a man but sees nothing. The painting shows that a man is hanging from the window to hide from the husband. This mural was painted on the side of a sexual health
The idea that art can be a service to people- most importantly a service to poor and disenfranchised people is one that may be disputed by some. However, Elizabeth Catlett and other artists at the taller de Graffica Popular have proved that art could be made to service the poor. Catlett in particular is someone who has always used her art to advocate for the poor and fight injustices. While her activism and political views were very impactful, they were also very controversial. Catlett`s art and activism influenced African American and Latin American art by changing the narratives of Black and Brown working class women. In their books titled Gumbo Ya Ya, The Art of Elizabeth Catlett, African American Art: The Long Struggle, and Elizabeth Catlett: Works on Paper authors Leslie King-Hammond, Samella S. Lewis, Crystal Britton, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jeanne Zeidler speak of the work of Catlett. In a paper titled -----, ---- also speaks of the work of Elizabeth Catlett and her legacy as an activist.
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the world’s greatest and most well-known artists, but when he was alive he considered himself to be a complete failure. It was not until after he died that Van Gogh’s paintings received the recognition they deserved. Today he is thought to be the second best Dutch artist, after Rembrandt. Born in 1853, he was one of the biggest artistic influences of the 19th century. Vincent Van Gogh created a new era of art, he learned to use art to escape his mental illness, and he still continues to inspire artists over 100 years later.
“Painting is a way to examine the world in ways denied me by the United States justice system, a way to travel beyond the walls and bars of the penitentiary. Through my paints I can be with my People—in touch with my culture, tradition, and spirit. I can watch little children in regalia, dancing and smiling; see my elders in prayer; behold the intense glow in a warrior’s eye. As I work the canvas, I am a free man.” – Leonard Peltier
I found out that he is not only an artist, but an author as well. He uses his artistic ability to express his political views. The painting below is about a man struggling with life and the depths of despair falls to his knees asking for an audience with God. He left his country due to one night, solider bombarded into his home and ransacked everything in the middle night for no reasons (King, 2001). It’s a country run by dictatorship, fear, killing and extremist (King, 2001). Like other artist, he uses his art to express the pain that many of his people endure brought upon by those in his own culture. So, oppression does not have to come from others outside your race or other ethnicity, but your own as well.
Despite the criticism, Basquiat was known for his unique and purposely artwork that will never be forgotten. All the artists during that time all portrayed similar ideas that were introverted abstract art. Artist started portraying common objects in an abstract expressionism that was aggressive and emotional. During this era, Basquiat and other similar artists created pieces that were rich in detail that demonstrated different aspects of life. During this art movement, many people considered it controversial and didn’t find the artwork to be intriguing.
Though people can look into color and composition, others can still even look into the source of the art itself. Cole goes deeper, delving into the source of the art, looking in particular into the idea of cultural appropriation and the view a person can give others. Though it is good for people to be exposed to different opinions of a group or an object, sometimes people can find it difficult to tell the difference between the reality and the art itself. Sometimes art can be so powerful that its message stays and impacts its audience to the point where the viewer’s image of the subject of the art changes entirely. Cole brings up an important question about art, however. Art has become some kind of media for spreading awareness and even wisdom at times, but in reality, “there is also the question of what the photograph is for, what role it plays within the economic circulation of images” (973). Cole might even be implying that Nussbaum’s advertisement can sometimes be the point of some media, and that sometimes the different genres of art can just be to make someone with a particular interest happy. One more point that Cole makes is that “[a]rt is always difficult, but it is especially difficult when it comes to telling other people’s stories.” (974) Truthfully, awareness and other like-concepts are difficult to keep going when a person or a group is not directly involved.
Smith, Roberta. "Mystery Man, Painting the Town. Banksy Makes New York His Gallery for a
” This was the start of his obsession with recording everything in his life, even if it went nowhere but into a box, never to be seen again. His habit soon became a driving force in his life. During a trip to visit his family that lives in France, he was introduced to the world of street art. That trip that he took in 1999 helped set the stone to the life that Theirry had yet to discover what it would create. In Banksy’s movie, it explains how the simple idea of putting your joy, or something that you love, up on a wall for everyone to see was an amazing thing.
A popular contemporary graffiti artist, Banksy, creates intriguing and intricate designs for public display on regular and everyday streets. His rising popularity serves as a catalyst for the renowned importance of the attainability of visual literacy. Visual literacy is the ability to understand and interpret the message of a visual image or object, and having this skill is becoming increasingly important in todays culture. According to Zemliansky, the first crucial step towards developing visual literacy is to treat visual messages as text and arguments. Although the message of most visual images are ambiguous, it is still logical to surmise that different ideas can stem from one image because of our varying perception due to varying experiences,
One of the most unique figures in the continuum of the art world, Marcel Duchamp changed the way we look at and produce art today. Marcel Duchamp was by far, one of the most controversial figures in art. Two of the most well known and talked about pieces by him are The Fountain and The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Even . Duchamp created many other pieces that caught the attention of critics, other artists, and the population in a negative way; however, these two pieces alone, brought about the greatest amount of controversy.
The rise of vandalistic art produced by Banksy and others, has altered the way in which the public views graffiti culture. Where spray paint once represented gangs and violence, it now suggests an exciting and cutting edge artform that could potentially be a lucrative investment. In fact, Banksy’s work is so sought after that people are willing to take bricks out of buildings in order to steal it. In 2013, one of Banksy’s most famous pieces of artwork was stolen from the side of a store in the UK. It was later discovered at a US auction (Banksy Artwork Taken). “Street art has entered the art world’s mainstream, with Banksy pieces regularly selling for more than $1 million” (Salib
This marked the beginning of his inspiration to form a personal, expressive, and religious stance on his art values and style. He has found his process and content that will be apparent in his future work.
Although other artists know who he is, Banksy doesn’t have a public face that he shows at galleries and in his documentaries. In Will Ellsworth-Jones article “The Story Behind Banksy: on his way to becoming an international icon, the subversive and secretive street artist turned the art world upside-down” he talks about one of Banksy’s earlier galleries. Ellsworth-Jones says “The show was a high-profile demonstration of the phenomenon that has come to be known as the ‘Banksy effect’—the artist’s astounding success in bringing urban, outsider art into the cultural, and increasingly profitable, mainstream” (2). Banksy’s “effect” is altering urban culture and bringing it to art galleries to be displayed and sold. In the grand scheme of things, he is commodifying graffiti and urban culture, making it more consumable and then proceeding selling and profit off of it. In A&E’s biography page for Banksy they state that Banksy’s work is unique due to the fact that it “often engages political themes, satirically critiquing war, capitalism, hypocrisy and greed.” The uniqueness of his work is a common reason different news outlets give for Banksy’s success. Contrary to popular belief, Banksy’s content isn’t groundbreaking. Artists of all mediums, including graffiti, before and during his time have touched upon all of the same themes as
Once people get out the habit of being simple minded in life and understanding a piece vs making a discussion of its worth, you'll learn that art is a language no matter if it is historical, political or temporary. I believe that Banksy is a great artist and that everyone should look into their work because it intrigues people from all walks of life. You don't have to be a wine drinking, gallery hoping, aesthetic person to understand his work or art overall and that is a negative stereotype that people need to overlook concerning any
Banksy’s artwork was effective in achieving it’s purpose because of it’s appeal to the heart, and in what is perceived as a dismal area where there is little hope, it most likely affected the view some may have on life, if not for just a moment.