Blog of Wade Making Connexions

Postmodern Art

We live in a time where political and social commentary by Postmodern stencil-graffiti artists such as Banksy and his co-horts, with thanks to technology, are seen globally by millions of people. Traditional/Right-Media display these works in their newspapers, magazines, and websites. People view the commentaries as images, nod their heads, and that’s that. The artist’s call to action against real, pressing, and urgent issues, those such as social injustice, privacy, terrorism, war, big brother, and poverty are missed by the audience.

Something different seems to be happening this time around. The artist’s call to action has been missed, instead replaced with art collectors and world wide fans of the artist. Auction houses, Gallery, and Media all proudly display the messages in nice large frames with black borders. The works are isolated, and the seriousness of the issue is removed.

The social elite bid tens of thousands, to hundreds of thousands of dollars to get in on the action. To be a part of the social landscape. Through ownership, they claim association with the issues and “controversial” artworks, and that’s where it all stops. Nothing is done.

Why is this so? How did the call to action, the calls to arms, get turned into a session of mutual masturbation?

I’m not sure of the answers, and would love to hear from you. My thinking is that part of it has to do with no identifiable targets. The artworks comment on topics that need action, but don’t point a clear enough finger to instigate action. If they do manage to engage and enrage an audience, there’s no next step offered for the audience to take. With the commercialization of this space, the issues themselves are getting further lost and isolated behind the critique of art.

For the small portion who see the work, wishing to engage, who search, they find no supportive groups or movements readily identifiable for them to join. There are no links from the social critiquing of artwork to a community of like minded people keen to aid and support each other.

I’m not exactly sure if we can uncross the wires and get the black framed artwork turned back into issues that need to be addressed. How do we go about it?

Is it so bad that the true audience of this art is much larger than originally expected ? The themes represented, that of social injustice, privacy, terrorism, war, big brother, and poverty are so universal that I would say its hard to assume it does not effect people.

Infact I am really very exited about this movement in art. There are a lot of people who are sympathetic to these issues that are now seeing art as an outlet and method of communication. There are also a lot of people who are collecting who would never consider buying a Lambert of even a Whitley that are now into art /because/ of this movement.

“Auction houses, Gallery, and Media all proudly display the messages in nice large frames with black borders. The works are isolated, and the seriousness of the issue is removed.”

yes and no. I don’t think the seriousness is removed - but I do agree that the large galleries take away the cultural context of the works. But - you know what? They do that will nearly all the works that hang there - it is just that we don’t see the other works in their natural ‘habitat’.

A lot of people are collecting that have not collected before. This work, and these messages are bringing new people to art. Introducing them to this form of expression and raw creativity - which is more important than ever as we continue to homogenize our lives into a pre-packaged, quality controlled, lowest cost, quick fixed fake assumed identity that we are forced to exchange our creativity for.

There is an edgyness in this art - as both a medium and a message that talks loudly to many many people. Even the people who you or I would not usually associate with it.

Also, don’t forget that your local gallery / street is where this art really is. The small hidden ones that come and go with shows that sometimes don’t last more than a week. Forget about the National / State galleries and go and see this in at its roots.

Support your local galleries and artists !

i love my fish eye verrrrry much <3

luv u wadey

dex man rulx

thanku and gudnight

^^^ Not sure if this is a spammer, or not. Wadey is a nick name, could a bot have picked up on this?

Interesting,
–Wade