“Art is a laboratory where experiments are conducted that shape though into visual and imaginative ways of framing the pain points of culture.” – Ernst van Alphen, 2005.
The influences of art
For many artists throughout history; art and the practice of art is an expressive or emotional portrayal of their inner thoughts. However, when place under a critical eye, the interpretation of the work is read from an intellectual point of view. This in turn means that the viewer of the piece; whether art, photography or poem, is able to take away certain key aspects that allow them to shape their own ideologies. When placed under a strict repetition, the thought process of so many individuals begin to impact the characteristics of society. Art from the past is viewed as if it were almost a memory of society from different eras. Art was once used in society not only for pleasure but also as a way for people to show power and wealth. The extra adding of features of land and jewellery allowed the viewers to receive a false impression of the subject. The mere fact that a person was to even have a commissioned painting of themselves or their family in itself shows wealth.
“A real work of art destroys, in the consciousness of the receiver, the separation between himself and the artist.” – Leo Tolstoy
A commonly question asked by many and will be discussed through this piece is why is art important? Art has followed society and history for many years. We are able to look back at pieces; whether it be text, drawing, painting or written work and be able to rely on the work to an extent to inform us. The graph below shows represents the interaction between the four aspects of the society and the different groups of people involved.
Figure 1- Van Jones’ graph showing how art is submerged within todays society.
Our society as shown above is able to be split into four different groups: the elites, the ideas, the masses and the action. It shows that the inside and outside acts can create different reactions, the inside acts there are the politicians and policy makers, these are the people who decide where to spend the money. Where as there are also the outside acts, these are where expectations and needs are, those who influence the passing of laws; which in turn almost hands over the power. The mass represent what society really want and this is shown in the heart. Think tanks and educational institutes, despite not always being directly involved are significant in creating thought. Artists are in the position to move people – almost forcing the human brain into creating new questions and inspiration – it can cause artists to strengthen and push people to act out for what they want or need. This in itself is what makes art so powerful. It creates a change.
Art is used nearly everyday to influence viewers. They have become so used that we as the audience are becoming immune to it. That is why when there is a new “revolution” or want for change; more people become inspired. It is created by the use of art; poetry, drawings, photography. There is an allowance for conveying a specific emotion and if the creator is able to portray something that many other people feel it becomes powerful. We have become desensitised to the images or starving children or of cancer patients being shown on tv; this has happened not because of a lack of emotion but because of the repetition of the same tactics to portray these subjects. For example over the past few months there have been an ever increasing amount of political and cultural tension, starting off in American and now travelling across the world. What brought the Black Lives Matter movement to the front of everyones minds was not only the actual story but the art that was created after the event. The citizens had originally turned a blind eye to police brutality and racism as it was such a recurring event. However, as soon as art started being released it caught the attention of everyone. There was a landmark in time where someone was able to produce a piece of work that everyone agreed with.
As said on the site The Artist, ‘it is important in society because it is an essential ingredient to the empowering the hearts.’ It enables the an activist or a group to grab the attention of the audience, pulling at the heartstrings, enforcing those in power to have to make a change. Although this may not be the case all of the time; it instead creates a rise in voice from the general public. One of the key pieces of art that evokes these actions is with street art; for example, the public began to use art as a way to show rebellion to the authorities in America in light of the killing of George Floyd.
Through the use of art, it allows people to come together and to be emotionally touched. It gives artists, activists or just people with a message the power to educate a large and vast audience. It’s breaking all cultural, social and economic barriers and bring it all together, bring the spotlight onto one thing.
Despite this example being a positive action, art is powerful in creating negative influences as well. Although a majority of this has been used in the past it is still around. With the idea of art being so powerful and able to effect societies outlooks, it really begins to shine a light onto the way in which historical art is perceived. Governments from all around the world have used propaganda to get the public to agree and follow a certain agenda. For example, with the Nazi’s and the use of art to promote the Aryan race. It brings into question as to whether art that has been produce through the years has influenced modern societies view towards women. Through most of history women have been looked down upon by most cultures, and although we have evolved greatly since then, there are still hints and inequality and “old fashioned” outlooks. Have the influences of art towards women followed us to the 21st century?
Gender boundaries now and then.
Dr Joanne Bailey (2005) concludes that from the start the ‘recovering of women from historians neglect’ was the ultimate goal for women from the inception. Over the years with the rise of the feminist movement towards the late 1900’s the focus on women was shifted to exposing the oppression of women and exploring the way in which they were discriminated and subordinated; showing the ways in which women reacted to this. Whereas within today’s society women have a lot more power and freedom compared to previous years and centuries, there are still restrictions against women that have followed from our ancestors.
Figure 3 – Gender Pay gap graph. Showing the jobs with the highest percentage difference. April 2019
The graph above shows the gender pay gap from last year; showing how there is still a large difference between the male and female genders for some of the most basic jobs. Although years apart there seems to be a reflection of the views of women from the past to now; Although not large and obvious there is the small veins of history filtering in and creating a sexist environment from the inside out. Within history specifically the Victorian period, there was a shift in the balance when it came to how society viewed women. In that women were being respected more and not viewed as a piece of property; moving away from the ‘natural’ male supremacy; the notion of this was contested strenuously and didn’t really achieve much. Traditionally, women were always viewed as being physically and intellectually weaker. The male gender dominated the decision making in all aspects including politically, legally and economically.
‘The man’s power is active, progressive, defensive. He is eminently the doer, the creator, the discoverer, the defender. His intellect is for speculation, and invention; his energy for adventure, for war, and for conquest… But the woman’s power is for rule, not for battle – and her intellect is not for invention or creation, but for sweet ordering, arrangement, and decision…’ – John Ruskin, Sesame and Lilies, 1865, part II)
In the later 1800’s the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies was formed, bringing all 17 groups present in the UK together. Continuing from this in early 1900’s Emily Davison is killed after she steps out onto the race course in front of the kings horse ; intending to disrupt the event for the suffrage cause. It was only at the start of the First World Wat where women were encouraged to enter work as a show of support, during this time up to 5 million women remained or entered into work. This was one of the main stepping stones into which women were being encouraged to take over the jobs of men. The suffragette movement is one of the main reasons as to why women have the power to vote, work and live the life that they want today.
How is this represented in art?
Depending on the era in which the painting was created effected the way in which women were displayed. Throughout the renaissance era is when the views towards women really became evident to a wider audience. During this era, men viewed women as nothing more than an object to be able to display wealth and genealogy; commonly thought be weak and foolish, untrustworthy of being able to do what a man could. These thoughts feeling towards the female gender became strong over the years with a rise in humanist teachings; further pushed by scholar Marsilio Ficino –
“Women should be used like chamber pots: hidden away once a man has pissed in them.”
During this period, families commissioned paintings to be able to secure an engagement before the man saw the bride in person. The paintings depicted women in fancy fabrics such as silks and wool; a visual representation of their dowry adding a value to the women. The parents were in some way “showing off their product.” These paintings paired along with the teachings and politics of the time, reflect societies ideas of women being property with a set value. An example of this being show is with the image above.
If we look further into the future and into the Victorian era, we can see even then women are still being presented as an object of desire. The image below shows a representation of this. When the work ‘Mariana’ was displayed in 1851 within the Royal Academy it was accompanied with a poem by Tennyson; also titled ‘Mariana’;
‘She only said, ‘My life is dreary,
He cometh not,’ she said;
She said, ‘I am aweary, aweary,
I would that I were dead’
– Lord Alfred Tennyson. (1830)
The piece above was inspire by the work of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. Mariana the lead character has been rejected by her fiancé after her dowry is lost in a shipwreck. The them of possession and object follows and flows through each piece of the work.
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