Lesson 3: The Artist as Social Commentator
The Artist as Social Commentator lesson discusses the artist taking on the task or job of pointing out perceived social injustices. Furthermore, discussing how that role has expanded over the last 100 years to include advocacy and activism for an array of social issues. This lesson will also discuss the depiction of the worker in western art since the French Revolution and why this portrayal was a radical departure from previous visual art content. This lesson will take 3-4 hours.
What the student will learn and be able to do:
The student will have a broader understanding of history in terms of how The Age of Enlightenment had a direct affect on the rise of the worker and individual freedoms in western society. From very subtle to overt notions about controversial subjects, the student will begin to appreciate why so many artists today comment on society in a variety of ways. Being better able to recognize the various art movements throughout western culture is also something the student will be better capable of doing after completing this lesson.
Essential Questions
Activity
Begin with the reading of a short biography of one of the most influential thinkers of The Age of Enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, on the peer reviewed website The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, whereby it is clearly laid out how his philosophies and writings influenced the French Revolution spawning the French Realism art movement of the early 19th century. Discuss French Realism and its role in influencing all subsequent art movements that dealt with social issues as well as individual expression in western art. A discussion of the artist becoming the voice of the working class, social issues and the individual should ensue. The students will be led into a discussion using the following links to pertinent websites.
Philosophies and Social Issues in Art
Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Age of Enlightenment
French Realism
Social Realism in England
The Stonebreakers
Realism
Ashcan Artist (short video on Bellows and the Ashcan movement)
The Ashcan School Timeline
National Archives New Deal for the Arts
Diego Rivera
Contemporary Art and Issues
Dadaism (begin the discussion of what is considered artwork today)
Post Modernism
Expressing Social Issues Through Art (radio show with curator Christopher Bedford)
Example Artists
Duane Hanson video (contemporary portrayal of the common working person and social comment)
Shepard Fairey video (street art/political art)
Paula Hayes video (nature, environment)
Kara Walker (racial stereotypes)
Jenny Holzer (Protest video)
Barbara Kruger (feminist art)
Chris Jordan (TED video, pictures some shocking stats)
Journalism or Art (Paradoxical photos from Foreign Policy Magazine, Washington Post Publication)
Discussion
Initiate a class discussion about whether the students feel it is the artist's place to become involved with social issues with their artwork. The discourse should touch on how effective artwork is that deals with social issues and what separates artwork that deals with topical subject matter from journalism.
Final Project
The students will be asked to create a work of art they feel conveys an idea about society that is controversial or that they have strong opinions or feelings about. The work can be a drawing, painting, photograph or essay, film, website, computer art, sculpture or performance piece. The students should have two weeks to complete the project. After completion, the students will bring the work to class for group critiques and discussions. The student will be asked to either submit a printed Artist's Statement about their piece or be prepared to deliver the statement verbally before the critique. Students will be assessed by the teacher as to how comprehensive their statement is as well as how much though went into the work and how well the piece was executed.
The Artist as Social Commentator lesson discusses the artist taking on the task or job of pointing out perceived social injustices. Furthermore, discussing how that role has expanded over the last 100 years to include advocacy and activism for an array of social issues. This lesson will also discuss the depiction of the worker in western art since the French Revolution and why this portrayal was a radical departure from previous visual art content. This lesson will take 3-4 hours.
What the student will learn and be able to do:
The student will have a broader understanding of history in terms of how The Age of Enlightenment had a direct affect on the rise of the worker and individual freedoms in western society. From very subtle to overt notions about controversial subjects, the student will begin to appreciate why so many artists today comment on society in a variety of ways. Being better able to recognize the various art movements throughout western culture is also something the student will be better capable of doing after completing this lesson.
Essential Questions
- Is it one of the artist's jobs to comment on social issues of the day?
- How effective is art that deals with social issues?
- How is social commentary in art different than journalism?
Activity
Begin with the reading of a short biography of one of the most influential thinkers of The Age of Enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, on the peer reviewed website The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, whereby it is clearly laid out how his philosophies and writings influenced the French Revolution spawning the French Realism art movement of the early 19th century. Discuss French Realism and its role in influencing all subsequent art movements that dealt with social issues as well as individual expression in western art. A discussion of the artist becoming the voice of the working class, social issues and the individual should ensue. The students will be led into a discussion using the following links to pertinent websites.
Philosophies and Social Issues in Art
Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Age of Enlightenment
French Realism
Social Realism in England
The Stonebreakers
Realism
Ashcan Artist (short video on Bellows and the Ashcan movement)
The Ashcan School Timeline
National Archives New Deal for the Arts
Diego Rivera
Contemporary Art and Issues
Dadaism (begin the discussion of what is considered artwork today)
Post Modernism
Expressing Social Issues Through Art (radio show with curator Christopher Bedford)
Example Artists
Duane Hanson video (contemporary portrayal of the common working person and social comment)
Shepard Fairey video (street art/political art)
Paula Hayes video (nature, environment)
Kara Walker (racial stereotypes)
Jenny Holzer (Protest video)
Barbara Kruger (feminist art)
Chris Jordan (TED video, pictures some shocking stats)
Journalism or Art (Paradoxical photos from Foreign Policy Magazine, Washington Post Publication)
Discussion
Initiate a class discussion about whether the students feel it is the artist's place to become involved with social issues with their artwork. The discourse should touch on how effective artwork is that deals with social issues and what separates artwork that deals with topical subject matter from journalism.
Final Project
The students will be asked to create a work of art they feel conveys an idea about society that is controversial or that they have strong opinions or feelings about. The work can be a drawing, painting, photograph or essay, film, website, computer art, sculpture or performance piece. The students should have two weeks to complete the project. After completion, the students will bring the work to class for group critiques and discussions. The student will be asked to either submit a printed Artist's Statement about their piece or be prepared to deliver the statement verbally before the critique. Students will be assessed by the teacher as to how comprehensive their statement is as well as how much though went into the work and how well the piece was executed.