Art, Protest, & Creating a Voice
Image Credit: Banksy (http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/index1.html)
What is the purpose of protest?
Why do people commit acts, create images, or even devote entire organizations to make a statement?
Artists like Banksy, Tame Iti, and the Guerilla Girls use their art to convey a message. Many act as a call to action, a social or political commentary, or a form of protest.
Banksy is the anonymous infamous street artist and graffiti artist from the United Kingdom who has become known internationally for his graphic images that have a dark sense of humor about real, and current situations. Banksy calls attention to the ridiculousness of political policy and offers a distinct sense of melancholy and a backwards sense of hope that has been particularly appreciated by younger generations.
Tame Iti is a Maori artist and activist who has been imprisoned and created work while awaiting trial in prison. Iti has been an activist in his native New Zealand since the Vietnam War, leading protests against war, native rights (the Maori are the native people of New Zealand), as well as political ideologies. Iti is currently serving 2-3 years for firearms possession. Iti is quite passionate about the rights and plights of the Maori in New Zealand, and his artwork reflects his concerns and desires for his culture to prevail and thrive (Potiki, 2012).
The Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of graphic design and installation militants. They describe their history and mission on their website: "In 1985, a group of women artists founded the Guerrilla Girls. They assumed the names of dead women artists and wore gorilla masks in public, concealing their identities and focusing on the issues rather than their personalities. Between 1985 and 2000, close to 100 women, working collectively and anonymously, produced posters, billboards, public actions, books and other projects to make feminism funny and fashionable (Guerrilla Girls, 2012)." The group creates protests and demonstrations all over the globe, on a mission to re-invent feminism and draw attention to the issues of inequality that still persist.
Below are links to artwork from the aforementioned artists, as well as a link to Art21's video focusing on artists and protest. When showing images and videos to students, it is important to remind the students to focus on the voice the artist is creating. What are they saying? Why do they need to say it in this way? How would you have done it differently?
What is the purpose of protest?
Why do people commit acts, create images, or even devote entire organizations to make a statement?
Artists like Banksy, Tame Iti, and the Guerilla Girls use their art to convey a message. Many act as a call to action, a social or political commentary, or a form of protest.
Banksy is the anonymous infamous street artist and graffiti artist from the United Kingdom who has become known internationally for his graphic images that have a dark sense of humor about real, and current situations. Banksy calls attention to the ridiculousness of political policy and offers a distinct sense of melancholy and a backwards sense of hope that has been particularly appreciated by younger generations.
Tame Iti is a Maori artist and activist who has been imprisoned and created work while awaiting trial in prison. Iti has been an activist in his native New Zealand since the Vietnam War, leading protests against war, native rights (the Maori are the native people of New Zealand), as well as political ideologies. Iti is currently serving 2-3 years for firearms possession. Iti is quite passionate about the rights and plights of the Maori in New Zealand, and his artwork reflects his concerns and desires for his culture to prevail and thrive (Potiki, 2012).
The Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of graphic design and installation militants. They describe their history and mission on their website: "In 1985, a group of women artists founded the Guerrilla Girls. They assumed the names of dead women artists and wore gorilla masks in public, concealing their identities and focusing on the issues rather than their personalities. Between 1985 and 2000, close to 100 women, working collectively and anonymously, produced posters, billboards, public actions, books and other projects to make feminism funny and fashionable (Guerrilla Girls, 2012)." The group creates protests and demonstrations all over the globe, on a mission to re-invent feminism and draw attention to the issues of inequality that still persist.
Below are links to artwork from the aforementioned artists, as well as a link to Art21's video focusing on artists and protest. When showing images and videos to students, it is important to remind the students to focus on the voice the artist is creating. What are they saying? Why do they need to say it in this way? How would you have done it differently?
Project #3:
Think about an instance when a person or a group needed help, or an advocate.
Some examples include:
Have you ever witnessed a situation when a person could not stand up for themselves? Have you ever been in that position? If you could speak for anyone who couldn't speak for themselves, what would you say? Create your message, and turn it into an 18x24 painting. This painting may utilize symbols and images of visual culture, but no words. You must decide how can you express yourself, find your voice, with no words; and create a successful image.
Assessment:
Do the students understand the connection between protest and voice?
Were the students able to use art to convey the connection?
Was the message addressed by the student socially, personally, or politically relevant?
What teaching and learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted understandings and skills?
Think about an instance when a person or a group needed help, or an advocate.
Some examples include:
- Bullying
- Social Inequality
- Animal Rights
- Refugees
- Immigrants
- Victims of Violence
Have you ever witnessed a situation when a person could not stand up for themselves? Have you ever been in that position? If you could speak for anyone who couldn't speak for themselves, what would you say? Create your message, and turn it into an 18x24 painting. This painting may utilize symbols and images of visual culture, but no words. You must decide how can you express yourself, find your voice, with no words; and create a successful image.
Assessment:
Do the students understand the connection between protest and voice?
Were the students able to use art to convey the connection?
Was the message addressed by the student socially, personally, or politically relevant?
What teaching and learning experiences will equip students to demonstrate the targeted understandings and skills?
- Understanding the connection between protest and voice through observation of videos and contemporary artists work.
- Speaking aloud during observation to analyze work to decipher the message in contemporary work as a class.
- By creating a piece that is meant to give a voice to those who have none, without using words, students must utilize their knowledge of art and visual culture to create a meaningful message that can be interpreted.