Chapter11SocialProtest/Affirmation

• ProtestsAgainstMilitaryAction

• Anti-warart• FightingfortheOppressed

• QuestioningtheStatusQuo

• Politicallychargedart

JennyHolzer,Untitled(SelectedWritings),1989LEDelectronicsignboardwithgranitebenches.InstallationatGuggenheimMuseum,NY.

JennyHolzer.Untitled(SelectedWritings),USA,1989.ExtendedhelicalLEDelectronicsignboard,withselectedwritings;17IndianRedgranitebenches.InstallationviewatSolomonR.GuggenheimMuseum.

Holzer’sworkfocusesonthemassofimplicitbeliefsthatarewidelyacceptedintheUnitedStatestoday.Thequicklyflashingwordsshowhowamillionpossibilitiesofhalf-truthscandriveuscrazy.

InUntitled(SelectedWritings),HolzerwrappedelectronicsignsaroundthespiralinterioroftheSolomonR.GuggenheimMuseuminNewYorkCity.

Thephrasesseemfamiliar,buttheysoundcontradictoryorevenidiotic.Holzersays,

“They’reabouthowwedriveourselvescrazywithamillionpossibilitiesthatarehalfcorrect”.

“ProtectmefromwhatIwant,”writteninaculturewheremoneycanbuyalmostanything.

Theelectronicsignsflashwordslikeamass-mediaattack,andthentheyquicklyslipawayalmostbeforewecangraspthem.

Thesheernumberofphrases,thespeedatwhichweseethem,andtheircontradictorymessagesdestroythought.

AiWeiWei

AiWeiWei,Reframe,

Florence,Italy.Façadeof

PalazzoStrozzi,2016

AiWeiwei,SunflowerSeeds,2010

Strategiesforprotestingoppressioninworksofart:

• Beauty• Illustration• Narrative• Shock• Humor

JohnHeartfield,GoeringtheExecutioner,1933.

Photomontage.

GoeringtheExecutioner,isaphotomontage,combiningandmanipulatingnewsphotographsanddrawing.

ThesubjectisFieldMarshalHermannGoering,oftheNaziparty.

JohnHeartfield*dedicatedmuchofhisarttoexposingandcondemningthehorrorsofNaziGermany.

*BornHelmutHerzfeldelateranglicizedhisname.

Heartfield’smethodforGoering’sportrayalincludes:

®increasingthethicknessofGoering’sneck,emphasizingaggressiveness

®displayingtheburningReichstag,likelyperpetratedby

theNazis

®black-and-whiteelementsgivinganunvarnished,bluntquality

®meatcleaverandstainedapron,warningsofNazibloodshed

PROTESTS AGAINST MILITARY ACTION

Artistshavedepictedwar,glorifiedthevictors,shownthedefeated.

200yearsago,artistsbegantomakeartprotestingaparticularwarorwarfarealtogether.

Muchofpastartwasmadeforvictoriouspoliticalorreligiousleaders.Warfarewasameanstogainpower,artwasawaytodisplaythatpower.

Goya,ExecutionsofThirdofMay1808,

1814Spain

Goya,ExecutionsofThirdofMay1808,1814SpanishRomanticism

TheExecutionsofMay3,1808 - thecitizensofMadridunsuccessfullyroseupagainstNapoleonBonaparte’sarmy.Therioterswereexecutedoutsidethecity.

Goya:®depictsSpaniardsfacingthefiringline,weidentifywiththeir horror

®themaninwhite,armsoutstretchedislikeJesuscrucified

®thesoldiers,repeatedposes,hiddenfacesaredehumanized

®barrelsofpointedriflesarerigidlyorganized,awarmachine

Siqueiros,EchoofaScream,

1937

DavidAlfaroSiqueiros.EchoofaScream,Mexico,1937.Enamelonwood,48"× 36”

EchoofaScream isaresponsetothehorroroftheSpanishCivilWar.

Siqueiros’symbols:®screaming,helpless,child amidthe

destructionof warfarerepresentshumanity

®therepeatedlarge,detachedcryingchild’shead depicts thepainofunseenvictims

®darktonesaddasombernotetotheuglysurroundings

®Urbanization,industrialization,endlesspilesofwastethe resultofprogress

SiqueiroswasaMexicancitizenwhofoughtinSpainagainsttheFascistsandtheirNazibackers.

Pablo Picasso’s, Guernica, is another artwork that deals with the Spanish

Civil War.

COMPARE:DavidAlfaroSiqueiros’EchoofaScreamwithPicasso’sGuernica

KathëKollwitz1867-1945Self-Portrait,1910

KätheKollwitzdedicatedherworktoendingwarandpoverty.ShelosthersonandgrandsonduringWWIandWWII.Inherartwork,sheturnedtopastconflictstoshowthedestructiveenergyofwar.

Kollwitz,Poverty,1893,lithograph

Kollwitz,Outbreak,PeasantWarCycle1903,etching

Kollwitz,TheDeadChild,1903, etching

Kollwitz,NeverAgainWar,

1924,lithograph

RobertLongo,Untitled(FergusonPolice,August13,2014)

2014Diptych;charcoalonmountedpaper

7’x 10’

RobertLongo,Untitled(FergusonPolice,

August13,2014)currentlyonviewatthe

BroadMuseum

Thisisa10-ftwidecharcoaldrawingofalineoffacelesscops,cladandhelmetedinblack,silhouettedagainstsearchlightsinaswirlofilluminatedsmoke.Thisisabrilliantlypowerfuldrawing,basedonphotographstakenontheangrystreetsofFerguson,Missouri,after18-year-oldMichaelBrownwasshotdeadbyapoliceofficerthere.

RobertMotherwell,ElegytotheSpanishRepublicXXXIV,1953-1954.

AbstractExpressionism

RobertMotherwell,ElegytotheSpanishRepublic

XXXIV,1953-1954.AbstractExpressionism

•ElegytotheSpanishRepublicXXXIVispartofaseriesofpaintingsmourningthelossoflibertyinSpainaftertheFascistvictory.

•Motherwellbelievedabstractionuniversallycommunicatedthestrugglebetweenlifeanddeath,freedomandoppression.

•Thelargesizeofthepaintingmakesthesestrugglesseemmonumental.

RobertMotherwell,ElegytotheSpanishRepublic

XXXIV,1953-1954.AbstractExpressionism

Motherwell’sformsareinspiredbyawell-knownpoembyGarciaLorcathatconcernsaheroicbullfighterwhoisgoredinthering,andthe3symboliccolorscreateaurasaroundthekeyimagesofthepoem:

-theredblood-thebleachingwhitelightof the

sun-theblacknessofdeathandshadows

MotherwellwasinfluencedbytheSurrealistprocesscalledAutomatism,whichincorporatesintuition,spontaneity,andtheaccidentalwhencreatingartworks,similartohisAbstractExpressionismstyle.

AccordingtoarthistorianRobertHughes,theblack-and-whiteformssuggest:

®bulltesticles

®leatherberetsoftheGuardiaCivil

® livingformsbeingcrushedbytheblackbands

Motherwell,ElegytotheSpanishRepublic,1953-4

Delacroix,LibertyLeadingthePeople,1830FrenchRomanticism

ShomeiTomatsu,HibakushaTsuyoKataoka,(WomanwithKeloidalScars from

theseries11:02– Nagasaki).GelatinSilverPrint, Japan,1961.

Delacroix,LibertyLeadingthe

People,France,1830.

FrenchRomanticism

Beautyandexcitementcanbeveryeffectivestrategiesinprotestart.

InLibertyLeadingthePeople, LibertyhasbeenpersonifiedasapartiallynudewomanreminiscentofaGreekgoddess.

Energized,oblivioustodanger,shecarriesarifleandtheflagoftheFrenchRevolution.ThispaintingisanhomagetotheParisrevoltin1830.

LewisHine,MakingHumanJunkPoster,

1915“TheHighCostof

ChildLabor”

Adirectwaytomakesocialprotestartistoillustratetheoppressivesituation.

LewisHinephotographedmiserablelaborconditionsandslumhousingintheUnitedStates.

Knownforexposingchildlaborinminesandtextilemills,wherechildrenweredoingthelowest-paying,mosttediousjobs.

LewisHine,Self-Portraitwith

Newsboy,1908

LewisHine,Leo48”high,8yearsold,PicksupBobbinsat15¢aDay,

1910photograph

EdKienholz,TheStateHospital(exterior),1966

EdwardKienholz.TheStateHospital(detail),USA,1966.

Shockinguglinesscanbeusedintheserviceofprotestart.TheStateHospital,criticizesthewaysocietydealswithincompetentpeople.Thepatientiscompletelyisolatedandhasnolifebeyondthisroom.

EdKienholz,TheStateHospital

(interior),1966

tableaux-lonelinessanddespaircausedby

society.

EsterHernandez,SunMad,

1981serigraph

KaraWalker,Untitled,1998

KaraWalker,Beat,1998

KaraWalker,LookAway!LookAway!LookAway!1995

KaraWalker,TheyWazNiceWhiteFolksWhileTheyLasted,2001

Theimageryisbasedonfactandfantasy.“TheyWazNice

WhiteFolksWhileTheyLasted”(Says

OneGaltoAnother) ,cutoutsareenhancedwithprojectionsindarkenedgalleries.

YinkaShonibare,Mr.&Mrs.AndrewsWithoutTheirHeads,1998

YinkaShonibare,Mr.&Mrs.AndrewsWithoutTheir

Heads,1998

PostmodernArt

Historicalquotes,clothing,andhumorareusedtoprotestthecolonialpastinMr.andMrs.AndrewsWithoutTheirHeads.

Thearistocratsareheadless,recallingthefateoftherulingclassduringtheFrenchRevolution.

Theprintedcottoncloth,whichMr.andMrs.Andrewsarewearing,isassociatedwithAfricanculture.

TheclothisnotAfricanatall,butismadeinthebatikmethodthattheDutchandEnglishmanufacturerslearnedinIndonesiaandthensoldinWestAfrica.

ThomasGainsborough,Mr.&Mrs.Andrews,1750

18th c.GrandMannerBritishPortraiture

ComparethetableauxbyYinkaShonibaretotheportraitbyBritishAcademicpainter,Gainsborough

YinkaShonibare,Mr.&Mrs.AndrewsWithoutTheir

Heads,1998Postmodernism

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WilliamHogarth,MarriagealaMode:TheMarriageContract,1745

Hogarth,MarriagealaMode:

BreakfastScene,1745English

SatiricalPainting

TotrulyunderstandthisseriesofpaintingsbyHogarthyouneedtoviewthevideoonSmartHistory.

Daumier,TheLegislativeBelly, 1834.Lithograph.

RobertArneson,PortraitofGeorge,1981.

Glazedceramic.

WilliamKentridge,DrawingfromMine,1991

Charcoal

Kentridge isaSouthAfricanartistwhocreatedafilmfromdrawingshemadebasedonthecausesandinjusticesofapartheid.

WilliamKentridge,DrawingfromMine,

1991Charcoal

Thereare18drawingsthatmakeupthis35mm.film-Ittellsabrieftaleofaninventedcharacter,Soho Eckstein,awhiteSo.Africanpropertyownerwhoexploitstheresourcesoflandandblackhumanlaborwhichareunderhisdomain.-alinktothefilmisavailableonMoodle.

MiguelAntonioBonilla,TheKnot,

1994,AcryliconCanvas,ElSalvador

MiguelAntonioBonilla,TheKnot,1994

MiguelAntonioBonillaisespeciallyrecognizedforhisoftencomicalandsatiricalcriticismsofpoliticalcorruptioninCentralAmerica.Thepainting,TheKnot,wascreatedattheendofthecivilwarinElSalvadorfoughtbetween1980and1992.Theimageisoftwodominantfiguresstandingsidebysideconnectedbyaredandwhitecandycanecord,inthereferencetopersonalcollusion.InmanyLatinAmericancountriesithasbeencommonforcorruptpoliticiansandmilitaryofficialstoconspiretogethertosuppressthecivilrightsofindividualsandtoexercisepoliticalpersecutionandviolence.Thissatiricalbutpoignantworkisacommentaryonthecorruptionofmilitaryleadersandstategovernmentsthatrepresentpoliticaloppressionthroughouttheworld.