Art As A Vehicle For Social Commentary - 1410 Words

Art became a vehicle for social commentary in the 1900’s largely due to the work of Andy Warhol. It was during a time where media were playing a huge role in the desensitising of violence, in encouraging the consumerism mind state, and in its treatment of celebrities. Warhol brought his own pop art style of art making to these ideas, creating works of art that make strong comments about the world he was living in. The paintings of his that I will be discussing alongside these ideas are; Campbell’s Soup Cans, Marilyn Diptych, Race Riot and Little Electric Chairs. Andy Warhol made many works opposing the violence culture in America. His many versions of Race Riot paintings were based on photographs taken by Charles Moore. Shot during a riot in Alabama, 1963, at a time when racial conflict was reaching a climax, with the arrest of political activist Martin Luther King Jr. In the Race Riot paintings, Warhol showcases scenes of horror that have been published, and removes them from their context of an informative source, such as newspapers. By multiplying and altering these raw images, and presenting them in a new light, Warhol successfully changes how the audience perceives these images. Although they are sometimes graphic, disturbing images, seeing them repeated and multiplied reduces the shock of the violence . In a way these works allude to societies’ desensitising to violence, due to media’s constant stream of violent and graphic material. Initially when viewing these inShow MoreRelatedThe Narrative Of The Ip Man Films1462 Word s   |  6 Pagesmartial arts as a physical and symbolic means of resistance against china’s conquerors. 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