This week Alex and Chris explore a multitude of answers to the question, Is All Art Political? And, Are All Artist Obligated to Create Political Art?
Using examples from the #MCU #MarkTwain, #DCComics, #AynRand, #GeorgeOrwell and many other works (including their own) Alex and Chris discuss in detail the Creatives ultimate obligation to her or his or their art.
What motivates art?
Is all art subjective or political?
Or do artist have the right to be humans who create art, whatever the form?
Is there a universal answer, or only more questions?
Alex Simmons is an award-winning freelance writer, comic book creator, playwright, teaching artist, and educational consultant. He’s written for Disney Books, Penguin Press, Simon and Schuster, Marvel, DC, and Archie Comics. Simmons is the creator of the acclaimed adventure comic book series, Blackjack. As a teaching artist, Simmons has created and taught creative arts workshops for students and educators in the US, Europe, West Indies, and Africa.
Simmons has served on panels and delivered lectures on children’s entertainment mediums, as well as empowering young people through the arts. Simmons founded the annual family event, Kids Comic Con, as well as three comic arts exhibits, which have traveled abroad. He is currently developing a comics and creative arts program for children all over the world.
During the past 35 years, Simmons has participated as a member of arts and education boards for several New York State nonprofit organizations, as well as one in Nigeria.
As a teaching artist Simmons has worked with youth through the Bronx Community College, the Christopher Barron Live Life Foundation, Apollo Theater In-School Arts Program, Henkel McCoy, Upward Bound, New York Council on the Arts, Children’s Art Carnival, Wings Academy, and NYU Creative Arts Team, to name a few.
He has been a panelist at many literacy and arts events, and he has been a guest speaker at numerous colleges and educational institutions here and abroad.
In my opinion, art does have a purpose to communicate an idea (s). An artist can create art in a vacuum and not share it; in this case I think it is the creative process itself which is important to that artist, which is a different purpose than to communicate via aesthetic means ideas or objects (including sound waves) which evoke feelings and ideas to others. In this latter case, I can’t agree that ALL art is political. I experience much joy in art simply because visual, musical or written forms of art convey qualities that appeal to me: balance, color, light, shadow, creativity, positive space, negative space, beauty, ugliness, speed, texture, etc. I believe all genres of art have such qualities expressed within their unique forms, and that these expressions can be independent of the message. They can help convey a message, or there can be NO message, and it’s still art. Perhaps the best art gets us feeling and thinking, and each person on the end of the communication line(s) an artist puts out takes away his own message.
Karen,
Thanks for sharing your opinion and insight. I agree that art in and of itself, serves both the artist and its audience. That’s true whether they see it the same way others do or not. Creating art for art’s sake, or even for the artist is a privilege. And it can also serve as a social or political statement, if that is the artist’s choice, or if the public chooses to see it as such.
Either way, long live art and artists.
I agree! Another excellent use of art is to help introduce a “sticky” or tough subject to the masses in a way that might be easier to swallow but still offer truth and raise people’s awareness and get them thinking or changing their ideas! This is SUCH a valuable contribution of art to society! How many FICTION movies, novels and writings, and songs accomplish this? Too many great ones to count! 😊
SimmonsHereAndNow 
In my opinion, art does have a purpose to communicate an idea (s). An artist can create art in a vacuum and not share it; in this case I think it is the creative process itself which is important to that artist, which is a different purpose than to communicate via aesthetic means ideas or objects (including sound waves) which evoke feelings and ideas to others. In this latter case, I can’t agree that ALL art is political. I experience much joy in art simply because visual, musical or written forms of art convey qualities that appeal to me: balance, color, light, shadow, creativity, positive space, negative space, beauty, ugliness, speed, texture, etc. I believe all genres of art have such qualities expressed within their unique forms, and that these expressions can be independent of the message. They can help convey a message, or there can be NO message, and it’s still art. Perhaps the best art gets us feeling and thinking, and each person on the end of the communication line(s) an artist puts out takes away his own message.
Karen,
Thanks for sharing your opinion and insight. I agree that art in and of itself, serves both the artist and its audience. That’s true whether they see it the same way others do or not. Creating art for art’s sake, or even for the artist is a privilege. And it can also serve as a social or political statement, if that is the artist’s choice, or if the public chooses to see it as such.
Either way, long live art and artists.
I agree! Another excellent use of art is to help introduce a “sticky” or tough subject to the masses in a way that might be easier to swallow but still offer truth and raise people’s awareness and get them thinking or changing their ideas! This is SUCH a valuable contribution of art to society! How many FICTION movies, novels and writings, and songs accomplish this? Too many great ones to count! 😊