MURALS


“MURALS” ( A brief excerpt from our book ) The abstract notion of ...
much touted by ... is, of course, a ...
Society is the sum total of human ... ...
those “MURALS” ( A brief excerpt from our book )The abstract notion of ‘society’, much touted by politicians, is, of course, a shibboleth. Society is the sum total of human relationships especially those we designate as "role-playing".
Man is a social being and his life is by definition contextual. How he relates to himself, his work, his friends, his past, his present, his future, his family and the world in general determines his life and defines him.
From the wastelands of the social pariah to the media touted ‘pillar of the establishment’ is a broad spectrum indeed. It is a spectrum explored by satirists in general and by many of the major playwrights.
Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”, for example, is essentially an expose of the craziness of man as a social being. The theatre deals expressly with all aspects of social relationships.
Is theatrical expression political? How can it not? Painting deals with context quite consciously. Context is as much a theme of Manet’s ‘Dejeuner Sur L’herbe’ as it is of Beckett's “En Attendant Godot”.
It is as much exemplified in Picasso's Guernica as it is in the work of Magritte and De Chirico. All art is social.
All art is therefore political in essence. Whether it becomes overtly political or covertly political has as much to do with context, as it has to do with the artist himself.
A portrait of Hitler would be a revered object in a Neo-Nazi's lair but in a Jewish synagogue it would be something else entirely, if indeed it managed to hang there for more than ten seconds. Just as a man can attain immediate notoriety by streaking in the wrong place at the right time so careerists in the art world manipulate context in order to win maximum attention for themselves.
Advertisers too like Benetton have not been slow to learn the trick. Therefore, to label certain artists as 'political' is simply to say they are 'overtly' political in the same way as a pickpocket is conspicuously a thief while the retailer who overcharges for his merchandise is merely a 'respected businessman'.
Both are playing the same game. The word is not the thing.
How we relate to things will have a lot to say about the choices we make. After all, bigotry itself and its extreme manifestation racism, is at heart a relationship problem.
The antithesis of the ugly and the beautiful is primarily a contextual problem whose parameters are always shifting. Consequently, modern art critics, bereft of any normative frame of reference in our time are all at sea as to what constitutes ‘good’ art and what ‘bad’.
Wily businessmen like Saatchi and Saatchi and unscrupulous curators everywhere are ever ready to capitalize on their ignorance and on the befuddlement of the public in general. Since the ‘scandalous’ arrival of Duchamp’s urinal the use of context has become a favorite weapon in the artist’s armatorium.
From that point of view there is really nothing new about Hirst’s work. Surrealism, as a movement outside of its psychological pretensions, was pragmatically an investigation into context.
In the era of New Age thinking, of course, and technological “advancement” all this seems like old hat these days but in their time these cultural statements were radical in the extreme.In the case of The Bogside Artists the context was given. We were born into it.
The site we chose to paint our murals, The Bogside, was a familiar part of our habitat. It was a daily fact of our existence, where we had lived and played, our history.
It was drenched in blood. This by itself would, paradoxically and despite the blunderbuss abuse of our critics, make our work very reflective of where modern art is headed at the moment.
For, it has long been an embarrassing fact to many curators that the gallery itself provides a false context for the viewing of art. The gallery in effect becomes a mediator between the viewer for whom the work was made and the artist himself.
This leads to a reification of the work and a corresponding alienation of the work, the artist and his public. Art galleries therefore look wistfully at community art and the work of muralists like ourselves.
They establish 'Outreach Programs' in the hope of redressing the balance. Performance artists, let us not forget, came into being explicitly to fill this gap.
With public art the modus operandi of the careerist artist whose will is to challenge the viewer on the presupposition that the viewer is actually blind and stupid, would nakedly contradict the context in which the mural artist seeks to live. The muralist's first remit is to communicate; else he would not have chosen a public site in the first place.
He is willingly addressing public context, public mind, public belief, public perceptions in all their variety and contradictions. He is not appealing to the dilettante or the culture vulture.
He is a rebel, painting with passion because he knows that true art is poetry and poetry is not the proper arena for careerism, which rightfully belongs to the market place and its chicanery. He is appealing, first and foremost, to the man in the street, on the assumption that the man in the street is not completely blind and no crazier than the artists who address him.
This is the context in which the muralist places himself. It can be thin ice to walk upon, as the experiences of The Bogside Artists will readily testify; because it involves the whole social context.
There are political currents to avoid and tribal rapids to negotiate. We seek to honor the context we have been given; not to abuse it in the name of an infantile delusion of license masquerading as 'freedom' which alone characterizes much of what passes for so-called 'contemporary art'.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .

Top blog stories

A review of Idmobile.com

Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.

see post

A review of Idmobile.com

Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.

see post

AO.co: Online Shopping Made Simple

AO.co is a trusted expert in TVs, washing machines, clothes dryers and other household appliances. AO.com is one of the largest retailers in the UK and it specializes in electronics, clothes and home furniture.

see post

For our people.

At Three, we believe phones are good. They just make life better. Easier. And more fun. But we all need to find a balance that works for us. Our mission is to help our customers use their phones to live their best lives.

see post

We make your life easier

We make your life easier Since 1992, we’ve been helping customers get the best deal on their dream phone. We firmly believe in giving you the highest quality, for the lowest price. That’s why we work with three of the UK’s leading networks to do all the haggling for you,...

see post

FOUR BRANDS BECOME ONE. CURRYS.

Currys PLC is a leading omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating through 800+ stores and 16 websites in seven countries.

see post

Halfords - Quicker, Easier, and Convenient.

At Halfords, we're all about the journey. With more than 700 stores with over 10,000 colleagues, we're the UK's leading retailer of automotive and cycling products. We are also the leading operator in MOT, tyres, car servicing and car repairs - pleasing more than 750,000 customers every year.

see post

FOUR BRANDS BECOME ONE. CURRYS.

Currys PLC is a leading omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating through 800+ stores and 16 websites in seven countries.

see post

Sky - Epic. Endless. Entertainment.

It's important to us that everyone gets great customer service and can enjoy our products, no matter their level of sight. So, if you're blind, partially sighted or struggle to see or read the screen, we’ve a range of features to help you get the most from our products and...

see post

Nasty Gal - We exist for the “girl in progress”.

Look iconic, without the hassle— using Nasty Gal discount codes, you can shop your favorite pieces for way less by simply entering one of our promotional codes (of your choice) at the checkout. From delivery offers, to promo deals, we keep ‘em coming, so you always have the offer you...

see post

Digital Publishing From Past to Now

The Covid-19 has caused the school and universities to shut down around the world creating a major issue in Learning and Education. As this virus spreads through the interaction and if social distanci... The Covid-19 has caused the school and universities to shut down around the world creating a major...

see post

Why it’s Important to Manage Your Holiday Calendars?

A printable calendar 2021 is a prominent online platform where you download printable calendars of your choice. These calendars can be customized as per our client requirement with photo, text, logo, or any other image. If you are thinking of planning a dream vacation tour with family and kids but...

see post

How To Stop Those Frownies Appearing?


It is true that we are going to age and we are all going to experience those wrinkles that are going to make us look younger. However by following some simple steps you can really delay the signs of ageing. Frownies? Today we are going to discuss how to stop...

Practical Steps For Beautiful Skin


We all want skin that is beautiful and radiant. Many believe that the best solution is to spend a lot of money on big brand names but this can often be the biggest mistake that a person can make. The first type of skin is the normal type. For those...

Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Trying To Become Professional Musicians


There many things you need to know and do in order to become successful in the music industry. But even if you learn and do all of those things, you still might prevent yourself from achieving ... There many things you need to know and do in order to become...

Finding The Best Prices For Womens Evening Shoes


In the market for fancy new evening shoes?  In today's economic climate, it's wise to search for the best deals.  We hope this article will point you in the right direction. Women and shoe shopping go hand in hand like men and tools in that they both look for the...

5 Questions You MUST Ask Before You Market Your Next Offer


You’ve spent a long time and a lot of energy and money mastering your craft and getting your business to where it is today.  You know your God-given talents and skills have been gifted to you for a re... You’ve spent a long time and a lot of energy and...

Choosing A Great Hair Style


Great hair styles do not have to be tough in order to be great. There are quick things that ladies with all hair forms and lengths can do to give their trend a little something extra. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Funny T-Shirts for Laughter


No matter who you are or where you are from you typically appreciate the feeling of being able to express yourself with your own style. Regardless of whether we like it or not, people would judge us by the type of clothing that we are wearing when we step out...

Is Your Skin Care Of Salon Quality?


If you go to the salon on a regular basis for some pampering, you might notice that there is a difference in the types of products that they use. Are your own skin products of the same quality? Glycolic acid is one of the more recent leaps forward in skin...

How To Invest Wisely In Your Skin Care Regime


There are so many skin products that are available on the market it can be challenge in itself in determining what to use and what to avoid. I want to show you what the best skin firming face creams and lotions must consist of so that you can reach your...

Are Skin Care Products Really Worth It?


There are so many skin products that are available on the market it can be challenge in itself in determining what to use and what to avoid. I want to show you what the best skin firming face creams and lotions must consist of so that you can reach your...

Search topic

Are Skin Care Products Really Worth It?

There are so many skin products that are available on the market it can be challenge in itself in determining what to use and what to avoid. I want to show you what the best skin firming face creams and lotions must consist of so that you can reach your...

Learn more