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| Private England Dragging a Prisoner on a Leash, Susan Crile |
At the end of class we talked about the use of art to protest problems in the world. Many artists use their creative work to give voice to political and social causes. For example, contemporary artist Susan Crile uses her works to draw attention to abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq (renamed Baghdad Central Prison). The purpose of this art and works by other "Activist Artists" is to transend the moment of the image itself by reaching a larger audience who will affect some kind of change. Activist artists often seek media attention in hopes of getting a message out into the world.
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| Poster created by Adbusters |
As you are aware, there are currently protests occuring throughout the world inspired by the American Occupy Wall Street protests. These protests are against economic inequality often generated as a result of corporate greed and unfair tax laws. These protesters are calling attention to major problems in the United States related to the current economy and job losses. Many of them carry and display handmade signs to convey specific messages.
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| Occupy Wall Street protester with handmade sign |
Your assignment is to write a
200 word reflection responding to a work of art and how it has been used to call attention to problems in the world. This will require some research on your part. Perhaps you should begin by seaching for examples of "activist art", "protest art" or similar search terms. This assignment should be written and posted as a comment to this blog post. It is due at
9:30AM on Tuesday, October 18.
