Over the past couple of months, the nation has been graced with beautiful political posters by Shepard Fairey via the Amplifier Foundation, Beyoncé’s colorful pregnancy photoshoot pictures and the return of the animated band, Gorillaz, which has bestowed the world with a fantastically colorful and a vertigo-inducing, 360-degree music video. Now, what exactly do these seemingly separate entities and their situations have in common? All of the above have made massive political, social and cultural impacts in our society and the entertainment industry with help from the visual arts.
Art continues to be a force during this era’s political storm, and it is not a new phenomenon. Throughout centuries, art has always been reflective of its time.
Rococo art, though not political, depicted the high life of French aristocracy before the French Revolution and became regarded with distaste for its own privileged existence. Pablo Picasso’s painting, “Guernica,” is a result of the Nazi bombing of Guernica, Basque, and is a massive political statement against war. Feminist art was born during the civil and LGBTQ rights movements of the 1960s, and challenged the patriarchy as it continued to produce notable works such as “The Dinner Party” as years went by. Before there was the political Banksy, there was graffiti-turned-gallery artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose neo-expressionist work fought against racism through his incorporation of words, poems and symbols.
Though there are hundreds of artists that I failed to mention, the bottom line is this: Art can make an impact.
Young artists have the potential to make impactful art, just as art has the power to impact those young artists.
This can be through the art of traditional work, digital work, movies, animation, fashion, etc. It’s a result of the age-old phrase, “art feeds the soul.” The right artwork, whether through a textbook or an Instagram post, can lead a passionate student onto a bigger and brighter path.
So, it always frustrates me when a child is discouraged from pursuing art. Parental interference can keep a student devoted to books, and away from color pencils and markers at home. A high school student can enjoy it as a hobby, but not too much because then they might consider it a career. Sometimes school politics get in the way and eliminate that creative outlet altogether.
What are people so afraid of? Unemployment is a risk for everyone, no matter the major.
Also, there have already been countless studies done that prove the importance of fine arts in education. This includes a better proficiency in reading and writing.
Even Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland, who actually found opposite results after conducting their own studies as part of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero back in 2000, came to a positive conclusion: “Students who study the arts seriously are taught to see better, to envision, to persist, to be playful and learn from mistakes, to make critical judgments and justify such judgments.”
Without even looking at the educational benefits of having arts in school, why do people still frown upon learning to mold clay? What’s wrong with learning that red and yellow mixed together make orange?
Even if a young art student decides he or she doesn’t want to be the next great fine artist, there are still many other viable careers out there!
Graphic design and animation made that informative and impactful video you saw on Facebook yesterday. Someone made your favorite musician’s album art. Artists are behind the visual outlook of every Disney film. Courtrooms that bar cameras allow artists to capture notable moments of a trial. Broadway musicals wouldn’t be the same without the props, sets and backdrops that make the entire experience worth those incredibly expensive tickets! Do I really have to mention the cartoons, animated movies, children’s books and comic books that keep the kids distracted?
Squashing a child’s dream can cause a negative impact. Don’t be so narrow-minded that it keeps the next great masterpiece from existing in the years to come.
