Using Art to Comment on Social and Political Issues

One major purpose of art has been to comment on social and political issues. The use of art to do this has happened throughout the centuries and can be seen used in all types of art. Banksy from the 21st century is an anonymous street artist who creates satirical pieces of art, which encompasses topics from politics, culture and ethics. His street art appears in cities around the world. Dorothea Lange was born on May 26, 1895 in Hoboken, New Jersey and studied photography at Columbia University. She used photography as a way to portray events occurring in the United States. Her work brought the plight of the poor and forgotten, such as the sharecroppers, displaced farm families and the migrant workers, to public attention. Gustave Courbet was born in eastern France during the 19th century and went to Paris to study law, while there he spent his time studying works in the Louvre and became an artist. His work was rejected as unconventional and he became increasingly anti establishment . Though from different centuries, all three artists used their artwork to comment on social and political issues. Banksy remains sheltered behind a concealed identity, choosing to keep his identity anonymous. He is believed to be from Bristol, England and became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1990s and was apart of Bristol’s graffiti gang DryBreadZ Crew (Oliver). He advocates a direct connection between an artist and his constituency and believes thatShow MoreRelatedPolitical Art Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pagesframe considers social issues such as politics, economics and environmental concerns. Meaning in cultural artworks is understood from a social perspective and may relate to such issues as race, cultural identity, multiculturalism, gender, beliefs and values. 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