Living through such pivotal times has allowed a new purpose for art to emerge in communities across the country. There has been so much discourse surrounding our current political climate, the polarization of communities, unacknowledged oppression, and overall struggles. Artwork has become involved in these conversations as a way to express the experiences of those whose voices have been drowned out.
Art has always been known as a form of expression and holds truths about the artists whether that is in the form of paintings, music, poetry, or street art, and regardless of their differences, they all hold self-expression. We must recognize the influence of artwork because of the depth it reaches in comparison to statistics. The feelings artists put into their work compel audiences and connect to the viewer’s emotions. If you take any piece of artwork from a different time period, it provides you a glimpse into the values and emotions of people. Art has become a reflection of the world we are living in and opened a new avenue of power due to how deeply these works connect to audiences.
The emotions and passion portrayed through art created the opportunity for important topics and conversations. A piece of artwork titled “Can’t Help Myself” by artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu presents a robotic-like-arm that is constantly in motion to sweep up red fluid leaking from its core. This piece has become widely popular because although the artists do not make it obvious what the message is when first viewing this artwork, audiences feel understood by the piece because of its raw emotion. It is clear there is a struggle being represented as well as a sense of determination despite the obvious entrapment presented. Yuan and Yu described this piece as a reflection of modern-day issues that include migration, surveillance, authoritarianism and technology. This allows audiences to watch and create a connection with the emotions being portrayed and acknowledge harsh truths. These emotions being invoked in the audience helps connect communities by creating an understanding of the struggle being presented, while also allowing audiences to make their own personal connections.
After recognizing how powerful artwork is, many have started using this form of expression to discuss important topics occurring across the world. The presence of art in these conversations help many grasp a better understanding of the pain and emotions from the artist’s experiences. The very well known artist named “Banksy” has utilized his artwork to provide critical insight into social, political and cultural issues and opened up these controversial conversations by making sure his art and message cannot be ignored. Seeing visual representation of the pain and frustration of a community in a brutal way allows for more discussion and conversation and furthermore sparking change by using emotions conveyed through artwork.
A local example of artwork opening up the opportunity for hard discussions is The Mission District in San Francisco where every street you walk down there is artwork spray painted across buildings depicting the struggles and dreams of the community. In this area, art is constantly being created and each shows the raw emotions and experiences of the people and this is what inspires change and connects individuals.
This approach to artwork is a catalyst for new conversations about social change and encourages dialogue and involvement that challenges current ideologies that impact communities and the country as a whole. Artists are able to highlight injustices and amplify marginalized voices through their art because it provides a deeper and humane connection through emotions and passion.
