Art and Activism by Barry

TASK 1 The meaning of the word Activism

21038941 — 2021-07-26 09:07:51 UTC

The meaning of the word Activism

In most cases, Activism means protest against something is an act initiated by someone for a belief or cause, for politics, social issues, racial equality, social change, discrimination.

The meaning of art Activism

Use the form of art against oppression, violence, injustice,and inequalities,and open up more space for marginalized to be seen,meanwhile, make the arts and humanities bringing together. Similarly,Martinique(2016)stated

Reference

Martinique, E., 2021. A History of Protest Art Through Examples - From Ai Weiwei to Banksy. [online] Widewalls. Available at: [Accessed 26 July 2021].

TASK 2 Some key words

21038941 — 2021-07-26 13:34:48 UTC

Discrimination

Behaving differently, usually unfairly, toward the members of a group.

Public arena

An outside area which receives attention from a wide audience

To empower

to give power or authority to

Social change

the transformation of culture and social institutions over time

Community

People who live together in an area. Or a particular group of people with a certain similarity such as people with the same sexuality or religion

Racial equality

The equal treatment of all people regardless of the colour of their skin

Social issues

Problems related to culture, work, lifestyle

To protest against

A form of political participation designed to achieve policy change

TASK 3 Example

21038941 — 2021-07-26 14:51:17 UTC

Diego Rivera & mural protest art

He created some murals throughout Mexico that included attacks on the ruling class, the church and capitalism. Instead, he promoted communism and socialism, Equally,he also wants to protect workers’ rights.
Corresponding,Millington(2020) states that “Rivera deliberately painted large-scale murals on public walls (in opposition to what he regarded as the elitist character of paintings in galleries and museums)”

Jacob Lawrence protests racial inequality

Jacob Lawrence grew up in the Depression and he became a commentator.He aligned himself with the American school of social realism and Mexican muralist tradition to protest racial inequality.

For instance,Millington(2020) states that "In his massive 60-piece painting collection called ‘The Migration Series’ he depicted the turmoil and moments of violence during the Great Migration. Sometimes referred to as the Black Migration, it was the movement of 6 million African Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West that occurred between 1916 and 1970. It stood as a powerful protest against the oppression of African American people."

Kara Walker & anti-empire protest art

American artist Kara Walker created the artistic work---
'Fons Americanus' is a large fountain 13 meters high and it show a sorrowful story about slavery, colonisation and “merchant trade”
the Millington(2020) states that "The form inspired by the Victoria Memorial near Buckingham Palace but it is more a critique of colonialism than a celebration of it. It’s a monumental rebuke to the evils of the British Empire. And it’s right in the heart of London. In one of Britain’s most prestigious and poplar galleries."

Reference

Millington, R, 2021. Activist artists | 11 famous protest art examples | Ruth Millington. [online] Ruth Millington. Available at: [Accessed 26 July 2021].

Walker, K., 2021. Kara Walker: Fons Americanus review – a monumental rebuke to the evils of empire. [online] the Guardian. Available at: [Accessed 26 July 2021].

21038941 — 2021-07-26 16:14:42 UTC

Fons Americanus

21038941 — 2021-07-26 16:16:33 UTC

“Gloriosa Victoria” (Glorious Victory) by Diego Rivera. Oil on linen. 1954.

21038941 — 2021-07-26 16:17:25 UTC

“In 60 paintings Jacob Lawrence captured the journeys of millions of African-Americans who left the Jim Crow South in search of better lives elsewhere”

TASK 3 What I learnd

21038941 — 2021-07-26 16:44:23 UTC

Sometimes activism is the artistic,but the artstic is not be activism.
In my opinion,appropriate activism is an expression,excessive activism is antisocial.
In my research,there are lot of artist use the their own way to show that what is real art of activism. They used painting to express racial inequality, use sculpture to show the pubilc how terrible slavery was, it was peaceful and not harmful to anyone.That is real activism,real artist.

TASK 4 Mind Map(draft)

21038941 — 2021-07-27 06:27:59 UTC

TASK 3.1 Descripition & Analysis

21038941 — 2021-07-27 13:01:32 UTC

I can see The American officials are light-skinned compared to the dark-skinned new president and the weary natives at the back of the envoy.On the right, there are also a group of people who are dead or passed out and people who want to take up arms.And Vallen(2016)states that "the narrative is as powerful as a renaissance altarpiece, its recounting of historic events augmented by a superlative handling of composition, color, and form."

It is muse be the political issue.Analyzing the information in the graph, I can see that this is political interference by the United States in Guatemala, which provides money and power to renegade Guatemalan military officers.The painting has strong Democratic and religious overtones, and the man people look at is the leader of the Conservative Party.As a result,Vallen(2016)states that,"The tall man in black blessing the scene deserves special mention, in Rivera’s overall composition the viewer’s eye naturally travels to him. He is Rivera’s depiction of Guatemala’s arch-conservative Catholic Archbishop, Mariano Rossell Arellano (1909-1983). In the opening days of the coup the CIA distributed leaflets across Guatemala that exhorted the population to support the putsch. One such flyer was a pastoral letter issued under the Archbishop’s name"
To summarize,it satirizes the corruption of the Ruling class, and resonates with audiences through religious inaction and the treatment of civilians.

Reference

Martinique, E., 2021. A History of Protest Art Through Examples - From Ai Weiwei to Banksy. [online] Widewalls. Available at: [Accessed 26 July 2021].

TASK 3.2 Descripition & Analysis

21038941 — 2021-07-27 17:27:29 UTC

I saw a painting, of black Americans moving together for peace, freedom, more opportunity, toward New York, Chicago, Detroit.

It is the social issue.They want better and more resources to escape the war, but also to have a new life, Likewise,it behind that is not only hope, but also frustration with the government, and if there is no discrimination, if there is no war, they don’t have to be a collective.
"With self-determination and resilience, hundreds of thousands of migrants joined the movement and collectively voiced their opposition to the repressive conditions of the South. Life in the North, they hoped, would offer better jobs; educational opportunities; social, political, and economic mobility; and personal freedoms. Yet the harsh realities of surging numbers of migrants in northern cities introduced new challenges.Letters sent home to loved ones and close friends provided an important glimpse into the conditions of the migrants’ new urban lives. In the face of overcrowded housing, poor working conditions, ongoing discrimination, race riots, and bombing, 'the migrants kept coming'."

(Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series, 2021)

Jacob Lawrence witnessed the innovative and improvised lifestyles created by the convergence of the Great Migration, the Depression, the Jazz Age, and the Harlem Renaissance.He is the witness of the times, is the history of the book, he used his own experience to write books and paintings arouse people’s resonance

Reference

Lawrencemigration.phillipscollection.org. 2021. Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series. [online] Available at: [Accessed 27 July 2021].

TASK 3.3 Descripition & Analysis

21038941 — 2021-07-27 18:08:48 UTC

Bidisha(2019) says that"The elegant tiers, sweeping ovals and prettily pattering water of the huge fountain make for a fine pastiche of Victorian memorials. Public monuments were built by the victors of history to celebrate their feats, legitimise their abuses, exult in their spoils and anchor their power. Walker’s monumental rebuke rises up palely: white supremacy built on black degradation. She makes visible the black women, children and men who were exploited and erased, and does so in a sardonic reclamation of the perpetrators’ own visual language."
It is the political issue.It speaks for the black community, recounts the atrocities of the British Empire, and it is ironic that this most ornate of sculptures is in the heart of the city.

Reference

the Guardian. 2021. Kara Walker: Fons Americanus review – a monumental rebuke to the evils of empire. [online] Available at: [Accessed 27 July 2021].

Public art

21038941 — 2021-08-02 09:47:33 UTC

According to this article (Public Art in Philadelphia, 1992)Public art is not limited to form, the focus is on the public. It can be a road block, it can be a painting hanging in a temple, it also can be made in any form in any way.Its soul is where it is and what It means.Everyone looks at it in a different way and has a different opinion. This art exists for everyone.It can express community values, enhance our environment, transform a landscape, heighten our awareness, or question our assumptions.

Project 2 TASK 1

21038941 — 2021-08-04 06:31:28 UTC

TASK 1.1

21038941 — 2021-08-07 12:25:51 UTC

At UCA’s events I prefer the “Culture Matters”design, which uses stickers and posters to create a kind of team emblem that makes each member feel involved, it is a very intuitive art
"Action for black students" is also interesting, it’s a kind of interactive art, where you recruit people through questionnaires, and you give them support, and it’s very formal
Finally, there are two conference events, which in my opinion are not art, but their forms of investigative communication are also worth learning, such as presenting and responding to various types of questions

Reference
Ucasu.com. 2021. Campaigns. [online] Available at: [Accessed 7 August 2021].

TASK 2 Social issue

21038941 — 2021-08-07 12:43:50 UTC

The Mental Health Toll of Academic Pressure

I’d rather study the issues around me, such as academic stress, than political issues

"Academic pressure may come from family expectations, the ambitious goals students set for themselves, or the demands placed on them by society at large. Coaches and school administrators may also push students to succeed. Whatever the source of academic pressure, the results can be detrimental to well-being on multiple levels. When young adults feel they must prioritize academic achievement over everything else—including physical health, positive relationships with peers and family, creative self-expression, and downtime to recharge—they pay a high mental health toll."From website(new port institute)
"According to the American Psychological Association’s latest Stress in America report, 87 percent of college students report that their education is a significant source of stress, particularly the uncertainty around what’s to come. A full two-thirds of this age group say that the pandemic has made planning for the future feel “impossible.” A poll of college students around the country, conducted in fall 2020, found that the majority were concerned about what kinds of jobs they would be able to get after graduating, and many were considering switching majors in order to be more competitive in the job market. In a survey of graduate students, 23 percent of humanities majors decided to change their field of study and career plans as a result of the pandemic."From website(new port institute)
Before my survey I thought that the stress at this age was roughly the same across the globe, after the survey it was, so I looked at some data
At the same time, I hope in some way to let us people in the process of seeking external approval do not forget, do not lose heart

Rerference
Newport Institute. 2021. Mental Health Toll of Academic Pressure | Newport Institute. [online] Available at: [Accessed 7 August 2021].

TASK 3

21038941 — 2021-08-07 13:27:42 UTC

Farnham

I see that Farnham’s lifestyle and parties are very suitable for my art activities, because the study and life here seems very lively in the video, I want to get more answers and ideas from these clubs and parties, and i wonder if they have any questions or thoughts about academic stress

Rochester

I see that the atmosphere in Rochester is a little "old school"
This is also a good fit for my art activities, because the calm and relaxed life here, students will be less pressure, and the psychological state will be better.Of course, it is just my guess, if possible I would like to do more research here

Mind Map

21038941 — 2021-08-09 09:44:28 UTC