Eleanor Jayne Browne | Printmaking Class Notes | Culture And Social Consciousness. Design For Social Justice 1 What does it mean to be part of a greater whole? How does our world view impact what we understand about who we are and how we relate to others? And, how can we become more aware of all the ways we are part of an interrelated, global community? Through social consciousness. This is “thinking” and “believing” consciousness shared by individuals within a society. Many creative producers, artists in particular, synthesise their works from cultural observations; or in other words “tackle” issues they feel need to be communicated to mainstream society in an attempt to create consciousness about their concerns some of which are outside common frames of reference, in an attempt to broaden society's priorities. Art, and design, can transcend the barriers of language, race, ethnicity, gender and even religion. It can have a variety of effects on people’s mood, attitude and state of “being”. During the 19th century, art making began to take on a more blatant socially conscious role, often reflecting the plight of the poor and criticising governments. Because the scope of art is very wide, besides the self expression of an artist, it can be seen as a means of communication, a tool to raise public awareness, a trigger to bring changes in society. And, since its main purpose is to create an emotional reaction in a person, it is a valuable tool to communicate messages and draw people’s attention to critical issues such as the environment, for example. In short, art and design can serve to protect, and enhance, both our well being and our world. Social justice art, and arts for social justice, encompasses a wide range of visual and performing art that aims to raise critical consciousness, build communities and motivate individuals to promote social change through generating awareness. Examples of visual and performing social justice art can include drawing, painting, sculpture, wall murals, graffiti, film, theatre, music or dance. The Chicano Art Movement initiated by Mexican American artists to establish a unique artistic identity in the United States was heavily influenced by the Chicano Movement which began in the 1960s. This movement worked to resist and challenge dominant social norms and stereotypes of the time. Some issues the movement focused on were awareness of collective history and culture, restoration of land grants and equal opportunity for social mobility. Throughout the movement, and beyond, Chicanos have used art to express their cultural values, for protest or for aesthetic value. This art genre has evolved over time to not only illustrate current struggles and social issues, but also to continue to inform Chicano youth and unify their culture and histories. Chicano art is not just Mexican American artwork: it is a public forum that emphasises otherwise “invisible” people. Much of Chicano art is in the form of wall murals and Diego Rivera was one leading figure who helped to establish Mexican muralism. Mexican muralism describes the promotion of wall mural painting starting in the 1920s, generally with social and political messages as part of efforts to reunify the country under the post Mexican Revolution government. It was headed by “the big three” painters Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. From the 1920s to 1970s a large number of murals with nationalistic, social and political messages were created on public buildings, starting a tradition which continues to this day in Mexico and has had impact in other parts of the Americas, including the United States where it served as inspiration for the Chicano Art movement. The prominent Mexican painter Diego Rivera, 1886 1957, helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in Mexican art and between 1922 53 he painted murals in Mexico City, San Francisco, Detroit and New York. In 1931, MOMA in New York held a retrospective exhibition of his works. In 1907, Rivera traveled to Europe to further his art studies. There, he befriended many leading artists of the day including Pablo Picasso, he also viewed influential works by Paul Gaugin and Henri Matisse, among others. In Europe he had some success as a Cubist painter, but the course of world events would strongly change the style and subject of his work. Inspired by the political ideals of the Mexican Revolution 1914 15 and the Russian Revolution 1917 , Rivera wanted to make art that reflected the lives of the working class and native Culture And Social Consciousness. Design For Social Justice Cultural Identity Indicating Time in Perpetual Movement, Eloy Torrez a painting of several historic figures from Mexican and Chicano cultures: the mural's intention is to inspire people in the community by giving them role models from the past . Diego Rivera
Transcript
Eleanor—Jayne Browne | Printmaking Class Notes | Culture And Social Consciousness. Design For Social Justice 1
What does it mean to be part of a greater whole? How does our worldview impact what we understand about who we are and how we relate to others? And, how can we become more aware of all the ways we are part of an interrelated, global community? Through social consciousness. This is “thinking”and “believing” (consciousness) shared by individuals within a society.
Many creative producers, artists in particular, synthesise their works from cultural observations; or in other words “tackle” issues they feel need to be communicated to mainstream society in an attempt to create consciousness about their concerns— some of which are outside common frames of reference,in an attempt to broaden society's priorities.
Art, and design, can transcend the barriers of language, race, ethnicity, gender and even religion. It can have a variety of effects on people’s mood, attitude and state of “being”. During the 19th century, art—making began to take on a more blatant socially conscious role, often reflecting the plight of the poor and criticising governments.
Because the scope of art is very wide, besides the self—expression of an artist, it can be seen as a means of communication, a tool to raise public awareness, a trigger to bring changes in society. And, since its main purpose is to create an emotional reaction in a person, it is a valuable tool to communicate messages and draw people’s attention to critical issues such as the environment, forexample. In short, art and design can serve to protect, and enhance,both our well—being and our world.
Social justice art, and arts for social justice, encompasses a wide range of visual and performing art that aims to raise critical consciousness,
build communities and motivate individuals to promote social changethrough generating awareness.Examples of visual and performing social justice art can include drawing, painting, sculpture, wall murals, graffiti, film, theatre, music or dance.
The Chicano Art Movement initiated by Mexican—American artists to establish a unique artistic identity in the United States was heavily influenced by the Chicano Movement which began in the 1960s. This movement worked to resist and challenge dominant social norms and stereotypes of the time. Some issues the movement focused on were awareness of collective history and culture, restoration of land grants and equal opportunity for social mobility. Throughout the movement,and beyond, Chicanos have used art to express their cultural values, for protest or for aesthetic value. This art genre has evolved over time to not only illustrate current struggles and social issues, but also to continue to inform Chicano youth and unify their culture and histories. Chicano art is not just Mexican—American artwork: it is a public forum that emphasises otherwise “invisible” people. Much of Chicano art is in the form of wall murals and Diego Rivera was one leading figure who helped to establish Mexican muralism.
Mexican muralism describes the promotion of (wall) mural painting starting in the 1920s, generally with
social and political messages as part of efforts to reunify the country under the post Mexican Revolutiongovernment. It was headed by “the big three” painters Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. From the 1920s to 1970s a large number of murals with nationalistic, social and political messages were created on publicbuildings, starting a tradition which continues to this day in Mexico and has had impact in other parts of theAmericas, including the United States where it served as inspirationfor the Chicano Art movement.
In 1907, Rivera traveled to Europeto further his art studies. There, he befriended many leading artists of the day including Pablo Picasso, healso viewed influential works by Paul Gaugin and Henri Matisse, among others. In Europe he had some success as a Cubist painter, but the course of world events would strongly change the style and subject of his work. Inspired by the political ideals of the Mexican Revolution (1914—15) and the Russian Revolution (1917), Rivera wanted to make art that reflected the lives of the working class and native
Culture And Social Consciousness.Design For Social Justice
Cultural Identity Indicating Time inPerpetual Movement, Eloy Torrez(a painting of several historic figures from Mexican and Chicano cultures: the mural's intention is to inspire people in the community by giving them role models from the past).
Diego Rivera
Eleanor—Jayne Browne | Printmaking Class Notes | Culture And Social Consciousness. Design For Social Justice 2
peoples of Mexico. He developed an interest in making murals during a trip to Italy, finding inspiration in the Renaissance frescos and on returning to Mexico, Rivera began to express his artistic ideas about Mexico. He received funding from the government to create a series of murals about the country's people and its history on the walls of public buildings. In 1922, Rivera completed the first of the murals at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria in Mexico City.
In the 1930s and 40s, Diego Rivera painted several murals in the US.Some of his works created uproar, especially Man at the Crossroadscreated for the Rockefeller family in the RCA building in New York City. The mural featured a portrait ofRussian Communist leader Vladimir Lenin who he included to portray the turbulent political atmosphere at the time. The Rockefellers disliked his insertion of Lenin and asked him toremove the portrait, however Riverarefused, resulting in the Rockefellers requesting him to stop work on the mural permanently.
When Rivera went through a slow period, in terms of work, and had no major mural commissions he devoted himself to painting other works.
Married to Mexican artist FridaKahlo, Rivera and his wife decided to divorce in 1939. The couple werefamous for their stormy relationshipand not surprisingly, they re—marriedthe following year.
In 1940 Rivera returned to murals with one made for the Golden Gate
International Exposition held in San Franciso. In Mexico City, he spentfrom 1945 to 1951 working on a seriesof murals known as From the Pre—Hispanic Civilisation to the Conquest. His last mural was called“Popular History of Mexico”.
The public persona of Diego Rivera and the heroic status bestowed upon him in Mexico was such that hebecame the subject of myth in his own lifetime. His period of work in the United States enabled him to explore an industrial society and to analyse the role of the artist within it. The murals in the United States served to clarify his understanding of his native Mexico and expandedhis personal philosophy and were the source of inspiration for many of his later works.
Diego Rivera's life was filled with contradictions— he was a pioneer of Cubism, an art movement which attempted to use art as a kind of exploration of consciousness and became one of the leaders of the Mexican Mural Renaissance; yet he was a confirmed Marxist/Communist who received commissions from America's corporate establishment. He was a revolutionary artist and a firm champion of the workers with a deep fascination of the form and function of machines pronouncing engineers as America's greatest artistsyet he also painted society portraits.
Diego Rivera died of heart failure in 1957 and is remembered as a great example of the socially committed artist. His art expressed his outspokencommitment to left—wing political causes, depicting such subjects as
Mexican peasantry, American workersand revolutionary figures. At times, his outspoken, uncompromising political views collided with the wishes of wealthy patrons and aroused controversy both inside and outside the art world.
Mural, Escuela Nacional Preparatoria,Mexico City, Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera and Frida KahloThe Flower Seller, Diego Rivera, 1941
Flower Festival, Diego Rivera, 1925
Portrait of Mrs Carr, Diego Rivera, 1946Man at the Crossroads, Diego Rivera
Eleanor—Jayne Browne | Printmaking Class Notes | Culture And Social Consciousness. Design For Social Justice 3
Online links and visual references—
The Message, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Fivehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjLHrhLVwzs
The Message Lyrics, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Mac Flickr pagehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/mistermac/
El Mac Websitehttp://elmac.net/
El Mac Bloghttp://mac-arte.blogspot.tw/
EL PASO x JUÁREZ Border murals by EL MAChttps://vimeo.com/123262276
Diego Rivera MOMA Exhibitionhttp://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/rivera/
Diego Rivera Detroit Industry Murals Movie http://www.dia.org/diego/walls.html#
Diego Rivera artworks Flickrhttps://www.flickr.com/search/?q=diego%20rivera
The D/sign Lounge Pinterest Foldershttps://www.pinterest.com/thedsignlounge/
Culture And Social Consciousness.Design For Social Justice
Eleanor—Jayne Browne | Printmaking Class Notes | Culture And Social Consciousness. Design For Social Justice 4
The Message, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five—
It's like a jungle sometimesIt makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
Broken glass everywherePeople pissin' on the stairs, you know they just don't careI can't take the smell, can't take the noiseGot no money to move out, I guess I got no choiceRats in the front room, roaches in the backJunkies in the alley with the baseball batI tried to get away but I couldn't get farCause a man with a tow truck repossessed my car
[Chorus]Don't push me cause I'm close to the edgeI'm trying not to lose my headIt's like a jungle sometimesIt makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
Standin' on the front stoop hangin' out the windowWatchin' all the cars go by, roarin' as the breezes blowCrazy lady, livin' in a bagEatin' outta garbage pails, used to be a fag hagSaid she'll dance the tango, skip the light fandangoA Zircon princess seemed to lost her sensesDown at the peep show watchin' all the creepsSo she can tell her stories to the girls back homeShe went to the city and got social securityShe had to get a pimp, she couldn't make it on her own
[Chorus]
It's like a jungle sometimesIt makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
My brother's doin' bad, stole my mother's TVSays she watches too much, it's just not healthyAll My Children in the daytime, Dallas at nightCan't even see the game or the Sugar Ray fightThe bill collectors, they ring my phoneAnd scare my wife when I'm not homeGot a bum education, double-digit inflationCan't take the train to the job, there's a strike at the stationNeon King Kong standin' on my backCan't stop to turn around, broke my sacroiliacA mid-range migraine, cancered membraneSometimes I think I'm goin' insaneI swear I might hijack a plane!
[Chorus]
It's like a jungle sometimesIt makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
My son said, Daddy, I don't wanna go to schoolCause the teacher's a jerk, he must think I'm a foolAnd all the kids smoke reefer, I think it'd be cheaperIf I just got a job, learned to be a street sweeperOr dance to the beat, shuffle my feetWear a shirt and tie and run with the creepsCause it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funnyYou got to have a con in this land of milk and honeyThey pushed that girl in front of the trainTook her to the doctor, sewed her arm on againStabbed that man right in his heartGave him a transplant for a brand new startI can't walk through the park cause it's crazy after darkKeep my hand on my gun cause they got me on the runI feel like a outlaw, broke my last glass jawHear them say "You want some more?"Livin' on a see-saw
[Chorus]
It's like a jungle sometimesIt makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
A child is born with no state of mindBlind to the ways of mankindGod is smilin' on you but he's frownin' tooBecause only God knows what you'll go throughYou'll grow in the ghetto livin' second-rateAnd your eyes will sing a song called deep hateThe places you play and where you stayLooks like one great big alleywayYou'll admire all the number-book takersThugs, pimps and pushers and the big money-makersDrivin' big cars, spendin' twenties and tensAnd you'll wanna grow up to be just like them, huhSmugglers, scramblers, burglars, gamblersPickpocket peddlers, even panhandlersYou say I'm cool, huh, I'm no foolBut then you wind up droppin' outta high schoolNow you're unemployed, all non-voidWalkin' round like you're Pretty Boy FloydTurned stick-up kid, but look what you done didGot sent up for a eight-year bidNow your manhood is took and you're a MaytagSpend the next two years as a undercover fagBein' used and abused to serve like hellTil one day, you was found hung dead in the cellIt was plain to see that your life was lostYou was cold and your body swung back and forthBut now your eyes sing the sad, sad songOf how you lived so fast and died so young so
[Chorus]
It's like a jungle sometimesIt makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
Culture And Social Consciousness.Design For Social Justice
