Social Commentary Art

Truth (Red Tape) by TEZ.

https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/values-identities-actions

Essential Questions

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•How can you make your voice heard?

•How can you help others see or understand your point of view?

•How can you inform others of social problems so that they will listen?

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Social Commentary Learning Intentions

• be able to understand contemporary social issues as applied to the arts.
• be able to explain how traditional art forms have been adapted from their original contexts to voice the experiences of a contemporary, multicultural society.
• apply additive and subtractive techniques in building sculptures.

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Social Commentary Success Criteria

• I learned about how artists use social commentary
• I researched my concept: idiom, humor, personal narrative... to express your social commentary
• I created a piece or series of pieces that are a commentary on an issue important to me.
• I created a sketch.
• I used a variety of methods: coil, pinch, slab, wheel…the piece can be sculptural, functional or both.
• I used surface decoration techniques that enhance the art piece.

Purpose

You will acquire knowledge of some of the world's leading Visual Artists of social commentary. When your intention is to inspire social change you have to make sure that the commentary is at the forefront of the art. Make it obvious enough for people to get it without insulting your viewer's intelligence.

Banksy Chris Jordan Nuala Creed

What is Social Commentary?

A social commentary is a comment on society, and not just a comment, but often a criticism. The criticism can be in the form of a comment on societal behavior or human nature, or can refer to a specific situation or trend in an area of the world at a particular point in time.

Nuala Creed, Babes in Arms 1 and Babe Sleeping with Bomb Pillow, 2005, stoneware with stains, underglaze and glaze,

Banksy

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• Banksy is one of the world’s most renowned modern artists of social commentary and is credited with sparking an ‘intelligent’ graffiti art movement that has been growing virally in many of the world’s biggest urban centers.
• Banksy’s artworks are more than simple graffiti as they are created to promote thought about social issues.

View artworks on Banksy's Official Site

Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci

Nuala Creed

“The series "Babes in Arms" reflects my concern for the values we are passing on to the children of the world. My babies are sweet and precious as all babies are, but they carry with them lethal weapons that may well be their future. They need the protection of gas masks and hard hats for their survival in the toxic world of war they face.

Babies adorned with weapons and gas masks juxtaposed with religious symbols are intended to be provocative. Some of the weapons the babies are burdened with are ridiculously oversized, reflecting the world's increasing arsenal of weapons. The rationale for the escalation in weaponry is that they keep us safe, a deadly paradox.”

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Crawling with a Big Gun

Yoko Ono

https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/yoko-ono-mend-piece-for-london/

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MEND PIECE for London

Mend carefully.

Think of mending the world

at the same time.

Reflect: Social Commentary:

1.What is this sculpture about?

2. How does the artist's work classify as 'social commentary art'? What parts of society is the artist commenting on?

3. What are some of the artist's intended statements / messages?

4. What are your opinions about the artwork? About the artist's intended message/commentary?

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Jeff Koons

Michael Jackson and Bubbles, 1998

Ai Wei Wei

Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola Logo

Raymond Church

Raymond Church, Inappropriation, 2013

Raymond Church brings the classical pottery of ancient Greece up-to-date

with satirical social commentary and urban imagery.

Ancient Greek Amphora

Steve Hansen

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From his Artist’s statement:, “I like to call my work, “Vessels for the Kool-Aid Ceremony”. The Meta stories in our visual culture are now primarily from commercials, advertising, and product tie-ins from movies and television. Lately, I have focused my attention heavily on advertising from the 1930’s to 1960’s.”

Research

Collecting sources

Pick an option below:

1. Find and upload images, scan photos create a google doc or google slide showing sources of inspiration
2. Print images, draw ideas, collage photos in your sketchbook showing your sources.

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Richard Notkin

Student work

Student work

Student work

Sketching and Planning

The purpose behind this type of artwork is to create visual images that are meant to be thought-provoking. Sketch down ideas, words, phrases, doodles, drawings, anything. Spend some time thinking about social concerns and issues, and attempt to develop your ideas and sketches.

Required:

1. Sketch
2. Name your idea
3. Label how will you build it

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