The article CRAFTIVISM: THE DO-IT-YOURSELF PRACTICE OF PROTEST DESIGN poses a very interesting question about protest art that I had never considered before. Ultimately it is a question of quantity versus quality, stating that Craftivism is a more effective form of protest art because more people are able to participate in it, making it more widespread, larger, and more of a statement. This would be instead of one large and more professionally crafted piece (possibly by a well known artist or group) to make a statement.
This is a possibility I had never even considered as a substitute for protest art pieces. While I can see that Craftivism might have its benefits in being more accessibly and widespread through the public, I think it might also be slightly difficult to interpret. For example, in the article it mentions one Craftivism piece where inflatable cubes were used in protest to police suppression of protesting. I agree that these large cubes drew in attention and wonderment from onlookers, however the message of what these cubes meant is very unclear without explanation. Overall I like the idea that this article poses, I am just unsure I think the approach it highlights is the most effective way of sending a clear message. In my mind the goal of protest art is to relay the content and goal clearly within the piece so that more people understand it without the needed explanation. This also applies to the “The Guerrilla Girls Are Still Relevant After All These Years” article. One of the reasons that the Guerrilla Girls artwork is still so cherished amount the feminist and art communities is that the work is powerful in that it conveys very aggressively its message. Looking at the Guerrilla Girls work, no one should need to ask for an explanation as to what the work means. By Powerfully and outrightly expressing the content and the intended reaction to the work, protest art becomes much more relevant and effective to its desired effect. |
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