The Responsibility of an Artist
Artists have a responsibility to the world! I think the most important responsibility of an artist is to call attention to and make people think about things that are wrong, dangerous, and not just. Some areas are racial injustices, freedom of expression, personal responsibilities during a pandemic (wear masks!) and, most important, Climate Change.
In today’s society, we need collaboration between art, technology, and science, to heal our planetary problems. Artists need to call attention to the disaster looming overall life as we know it. “Art has its own power in the world, and is as much a force in the power play of global politics today as it once was in the arena of cold war politics,” says Boris Groys, who is a Soviet art historian in Russia (Groys, 25). He believes art could be a gateway to help settle the world’s problems. A lot can be done in the art world to create a steady world in our society. We could use virtual technology to spread awareness about future problems. Using that technology, we could create and show a world facing a looming disaster. This can help to humanize the world, by stopping wars and by speaking louder than politicians. We need to speak louder, and more effectively by using all of the arts. Technology can be used to project art onto walls in public places. Art can also be put into science forms by drawing complex diagrams. Art can be used in so many different ways to show how our democracy, country, and the world are getting dangerously worse and how to make them better.
Historically, artists world-wide have been using art to spread awareness about Climate Change, Black Lives Matter, and freedom of speech and expression (“Artist’s Role in Society”). Artists spend their time creating pieces that speak out about these topics which can be put into sculpture, painting, sketching, or music. Artists in different countries, such as IC3PEAK (or I SPEAK) are using their music to speak out about the Russian government and how the people in their society are treated (Audio Visual Terrorists). IC3SPEAK is a Russian band/singer-songwriter. Some people believe her music is a cry for help, as the band's concerts started to be shut down by the Russian government. International cooperation with artists from Russia, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, can lead to sharing their art all across the internet for the world to see. The internet is a way to spread awareness about world problems. The point of this is to tug at the heartstrings and emotions of people by making them feel the need to improve the world. For one thing, working together on these things brings people together and gives them an emotional feeling of belonging to something huge.
I can turn that same focus as IC3PEAK to the climate change emergency (IC3SPEAK). We could use art to show the images of our future if nothing is done to mitigate or stop rising temperatures. We could show birds dying, animals not having habitat, food to eat or clean water to drink. Maybe we could use our knowledge of the future to show through art what could happen if nothing is to be done. Artists can show how the loss of wildlife and forest could impact and affect our planet. Artists can also show how drought and fires kill animals that people depend on for food and clothing (such as sheep in Australia in 2019). This appeals to people’s logical nature where they can envision and understand what WILL happen if nothing meaningful is done.
Three vaccines, Moderna, Pfizer and J&J, are out and being distributed. This is a good and necessary thing for the world to aid in conquering the coronavirus. However, at this time, only about one third of New Mexicans are registered to get the vaccine. Sadly, there is the possibility that the virus could continue to be spread across the world due to lack of awareness, anti-vaccers and vaccine shortages. A way we could influence these people would be to create art to show what the world may come to if they don't get vaccinated. We could create short videos to show

There are many examples of artists that made a difference (Schama episode 9). One example is Picasso’s “Guernica,” a village during the Spanish Civil War. This is a powerful statement against war. In the 1930’s, the Nazis used propaganda films to trigger emotions leading to murder on a massive scale. Other examples are: Anslem Kieffer, showing the horrors of World War 2 through his 3D and immense canvases; Ai Weiwei who showed the tragedies of refugees in overloaded inflatable boats through his sculptures; and Kara Walker who showed the black slave experience through life size images (Schama episode 9). Films like “Grapes of Wrath” showed raw poverty and dislocation but also showed rays of hope from most people’s better nature. Today, we are worrying about drought, crop failure and political violence.
Many people use art as an escape from reality, to show things in a good way. People respond visually which means there will always be a place for art. Different disciplines, either individually or by working together can be even more effective. Film, painting, writing, animating, and sculpting can all work together to create something so immaculate that it could impact the world.
Some people think that art is just meant to make people feel good or happy and that generating these emotions is the main goal of art. Another common goal with art is simply “to match the draperies and furniture in a room.” There is nothing wrong with these goals. It is true that people will spend more time and money on art that makes them feel good and that artists that focus entirely on social justice, for example, will not sell art and starve. However, many artists that I have met work hard to express their emotions through their art forms, and not all of those emotions are just about happiness. I feel that important art will be suppressed and incomplete if artists are just making "happy" art. Therefore, there must be a balance between "feel good" art and "make you think" or “wake you up” art. This is a challenge because artists need to make a living but also express what they are thinking and feeling.
In closing, art can be a way to show beauty but also a way to show the future, or what’s ahead in life. But now artists, of all media, need to step up to show the effects of Climate Change, Black Lives Matter, and social injustice. We can use art to spread awareness about taking vaccines, wearing masks, and what could happen in the future if these measures are not taken. All this could be used to change the future if artists would come together with scientists, politicians and people from across the world to create powerful works of art to change the world. At this historic crossroad, we need to do more with art to help solve the huge problems we face. Our future and our planet depend on it.

WORKS CITED

“IC3PEAK: “Audio Visual Terrorists from Moscow,” The, 22 Aug. 2016, the-flow.ru/new-flow/new-flow-vol13-ic3peak. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020

Groys, Boris. “Art Power.” MIT Press, February 2013.

Schama, Simon. “What Is Art Good For?” PBS Civilizations, PBS, 3 July 2018, www.pbs.org/civilizations/episodes/episode-9/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.

CNN. 25 Of the Most Iconic Photographs, 2016, 27 Sept. 2016, www.cnn.com/2013/09/01/world/gallery/iconic-images/index.html.

‌“What Is the Artist’s Role in Society.” www.artworkarchive.com, Artwork Archive, www.artworkarchive.com/blog/what-is-the-artist-s-role-in-society. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.