Images related to Social Action from nine artists

Bersson, Robert

Bonnette, Joan

Clay, Vaughn

Desai, Dipti

Gude, Olivia

Howenstein, Drea

Project Row House, Rick Lowe\u27s

Quilt Project, Boise Peace

Rauch, Kristin

VCU Scholars Compass

100 The Gallery Even the more persona l expe ri ences have globa l ramifications. Joan Bonnette crea tes torsos from her own body and then scars them with the wounds from her mother's surgeries. She honors her mother's endurance for over 25 years as she continues to survive the attack of cancer. What is this cancer that is ravagi ng so many humans? Not one of us can isolate ourselves from this destruction. 80th my parents have cancer. My dear friend who rece ived his d octorate with me d ied recently of cancer. This imba lance in Ollr bod ies is life threatening. The chemica ls we have placed in our food, air, and water are the likely agents that activate the ca rcinesous monopoly. Bonnette's image of endurance and su rvival, also evokes a message that cancer affects us all. While cancer research may make medica l breakthroughs we must suspec t what we eat, breathe, and drink· -and perhaps make changes in our daily consumption. In the 1980s I worked for Eugene, Oregon's, COl/n eil fo r Huma" Rigllts in Latin America. Since then I have introduced Chilean Arpilleras in art lessons about transfo rmative power or social action through art. Each semester as I introduce non-art majors to the arpilleras and ask them to crea te an artwork tha t presents a social or personal injustice that they have ex perienced, (using the "scraps of life~ that surround them), many express surp rise that art can serve such a purpose. One woman asked, "you mean J can communicate my views on breastfeeding through art?" Another was concerned that her view that women should be allowed to read the Torah was not an "art" topic. When we discussed their art and the con troversial issues that the art exp ressed ranging from abortion, to legalization o f marijuana, to gun control, chi ld abuse, and socie ty "as puppets of the clock"; there were tears, opposing opin ions, and engaging discussion. t asked in the midst of the passion: ~Should discussion such as we are having be a part of art education?~ They answered with a unanimous, YES!M These elementary educa tion majors who were taking the required art class as part of their teaching cer tification program, many of whom will be in schools without art specialists, felt that the dialogue tha t their images s timulate d was educa tiona l, necessary, and helped them to examine the socia l role of art. As Suzi Gablik writes: "Vis ion is not purely cognitive or purely aes thetic but vision is a social practice" (1991, p. 100) . The JSTAE Gallery presents art as a socia l practice. Gabli k, S. (1991). Tile reenchatltment of art. London: Thames &: Hudson. I , I I I • I I \ SOCI~L ACTION' 101 The Gallery Robert Bersson Boise Peace Quilt Project Joan Bonnette Vaughn Clay Dipti Desai Olivia Cude Drea Howenstein Rick Lowe's Project Row House, Inc. Kristin Rauch • 102 The Gl/llery Since the early 1980s, members of the Boise Peace Quilt Project have been making quilts to promote world peace and to honor peace activists. Strategies using quilts -as vehicles for peace making in-clude cross-cultural collabora-tions, educational seminars, award ceremonies, and even the circulation of a quilt among U.S. senators who were asked to sleep one night under the quilt, dream of peace, and in the morning act towards peace through their po-litical action on the Senate floor. Elizabeth Hoffman SOCIAL ACTION' 103 • Sancluary Quilt January, 1988 Dy: Boise Peace Q uilt Projec t The Sanctuary Quil t focuses on the strugg le (or freed om in Central America a nd honors churches and communiti es in Nor th Ame ri ca ~ho have prov ided sanctua ry (o r re fugees. The images o n the qUi l t reflect the hor ror o f po litical con flict , the sadness of leav ing nati ve landsca pes, and th e hope o f finding peace in No rth Ameri ca n communit ies o ffer ing sanc tua ry . ~OC[AL ACTION · \05 By AU MtllII5 Ntffl$Ilry (dcfllil) 1992 ~crylk p~in1 Oil bricks; h l' 16'x1IS' • lJy All Mt~~~ NtctsSIlry wa~ ( reaUld In the ,ummer IIf 1992 by a leam of ]4 teen~ worki ng wi1h ~.1iill, OU"I~ Cude, o."l~n Syl""in, and Tu .hado Ma ,abou The chtoll~nge 10 lhot youlh wa~ simple ~nd dif1!(l, -H~~ Is yo" r wall , You r mi$llion i~ to ima Ke for Ihe community the i,~u"'llhal yo .. facc, that the comm unity ~" ~ whole facel," In an inlenslv" tiix_wO«!k ".,>CI>S" we dl,-cussal , mnli lah,d, r~""arch~'d, d ..... w, 'e-d rew, pruj~t .. d. and pnlnlcd III)l:e lhe • . The titl .. , " l ribute and a refleclilln lin Ih" fo,,'(O us words of Malcolm X cam~ abo ut b~caus~ one day 0"1,' of Ihe 'l\"I ~"U thr~w up his hands during a group dinuss i,,,\ and exclaimed, "The'''', n""n" w~y I" look al things, Ilvery time J thin k one Ihlng. someone m,ku me ~ I..., ~eoe it l<lOther w'y -We ,av" uu ':!<Ill y". and Ihe community by mu lIip le u"d .. ,stand -Ings aM action., -by "II m"~ "1i nOlCessa ry," SOCIAL ACTION · 107 WOII/IIII Tide 1975 By: Krislin Raucb b& w photograph; ht: 8"x7.S" News repo rls, th e In te rn e t, and p ho togra ph s awakened memo ri es o f the 1975 In ternational Women's Day march in New York City. Thi s pho tograph connec ts people and thei r beli e fs through 20 years . SOCIAL ACTION ' 109 E.llrillra: Su rvivor 1994 By: Joan Bonnette rnonotype; 10"x14" The spiriL and oplimism o f my mother in her 25 yea r cl)durance of breas t ca nce r is the basis of ENDU RA. A t age 87, she is it fi ghter and sLillli kes to li e a red sash a roun d her blo use and to pu l o n lips ti ck and a little perfume when vis itors a re ex pec ted . Bless her end ura nce and ca nce r resea rch! SOCIAL ACTION· III Hilldll ~MlIslim 81lai 131m; 1994 By: Dipti Desai collage; to"x7" The co llage represents my s trong opposition to the cu rren t ri se in Hindu fund amen ta li s m in India . I focus o n the direct re lationshi p between Hind u and Mus lim labo urers in laday's wo rld economy . This relationship is to tall y di smissed in fundami:!lllali st discourse . SOCIAL ACTION · I! ! Hindu Muslim IJh.i IJlr1li '994 By· DipH INui «>JI~g~, 10 .... 7" Th" ""II~I:" '''I''~ .... n IS "'1 .Irung opposition In Ihe cu ,nonl "." in Hindu f"nd~m"n'~li&m in I"di". I fur" , nn the dl.«1 ,el~lInn.hlp between I lind .. Jnd Mu. lim '~ Ix!\""'~ in t"d ~y", wu,ld .. ,·"""my. This relation.hlp Is tn t~lI y d lsmiu"d in lu "cI~m"nla li~' d j,~u""". SOCIAL ACTION. 113 Fillars "f Sid' 1990 By: V~"ghn Clay mixed p~ ints : acry li cs, oils, « spr~y; I T70"xW lOS". OS" I'illars of SaIl comment' on the 1990 P~r, i~" Cutf War htw,,~n [he USA and Iraq. Images from ancient AssyriJn art arc mixed with mod"Tn war ima l:"' y , Th~ ,·""t •• I IiI:" r~ ...,I~rs 10 the Biblical slory ~nd sy n'bol i~cs that war, ange. , and g reed can tu rn u. ~II intn I' illars ,,( sa il . SOCIAL ACTION · 115 Ilomeles.f Cul/age 1'193 By: Rohert Bersson (;oliagc; 11 "x9" Homeless Collage, is s ub!i tIed , "Resid en ts o f th e Richest Coun try in the Wurld ." I am co nti nua ll y di s turbed by th e h ilrs h extre mes of wea lth and pove rt y, materia l comfor t, and degradatio n in nu r society. With its grim subjec i matter and sha rp, ang ular forms, the co ll age is a criticis m a nd ca ll to look at Ihi s deeply rooted prob lem . SOCIAL ACriON ' 11 7 Hou"to~'" Proi,-,<t Row Ho o"" i. ~ commonity-b~" .... l "work in p rogress" tilat brings together til.;, His and community r"v il.lb'II"" , Rick L"w~, ~ se lf de"" ribed pnlilicaJ "cllvlst, c"r~to', ~ rti" t , ~ " d P'OJj,,<:t ROJw HOJu.,,'. orl:""iz"r, IOJok...J fOJr ways 10 ruse his inl.;,reS15 in social action and making art. Inspired by loca l black arll s ts , ill' >""lIhl a means 10 wor k wilh .,ti sl. , ~'I prOJr,,""iOJn~I. , IOJc " 1 po l i tici."., and A fric"" A ml' rlc. n organlu tlo ns 10 help one o f Houston' s African American neillhbnrh,,,,,\ s , Lowe found ~ d"ubl ~ no", nf 22 o ld and .bandon"d ho".". _ In t985, with th" help of commOJ"ity members, Low.;, bega n a long-term pro).;,ct 10 r.;,5\ore and Sustain a ""'St' of """""un ity thruul\h c r~a tlv., .. nd~"v"' • . Th .. pmi""t prnvid". " ,e.id",,1 . ,Ii.t, ""ve" i" . ta 11.1i"" ho".".," c l.ssroo m, a galler y, residenc.;, faciliti.;,s , child car.;" and guidance ror leen m"lhe ... (Text by D"" Kr ull, 1996.) .sOCIAL ACTION · J 19 TIk S~llrr "r()j~1 1995 Fly' rJrao 1!.....:n. .. CIn Sprllll lYllninl "!CCUtIOll; N "j,b ~ JO' wido: 14(11en~1II Arl i51/prof~uor n,~" How~n5lein wurk...d wilh slud~n l ' frum "fhco School of Ih" Art Instllule of Chlcilgo. Amu ndsen High School, 51 uden t! and teachers from eight d i/fe,e"t e h ir~g'" Rnd public .cI",,"~, Ihe HUrl'.u ... 1 For .. ~ITy/Slmcl s ~nd S~nit~tilln, the Chicago l'ulJlle Schools lJo~rd of t;dueJtion, Wl nnem., PM" St~1f and uv~ral otl"~r ind iv iduaL" t .. build ~ t.,"'Pll,aly w mmuni ty public lIe ulplu, ... Th~ SIr,II" /'roitc/ . The projl'C1 Involved 100ai ~hool communlties In ~ cOOpi:raU vl! endeavor that would clir<!C'1 allenli-on 10wa ,,1 th.1IOt iml''''I~nl inue. ~U .. nl illl tll w .... ld <i t i>:en,hip ' (.)Rupeci fur n,lu''' , ( lJ) corn pus Ion fo r Ih" hornelen, and (c) 1M ""':e",Iy of ,h,ring .. nd mJn~glng o ur coJiNtive , .. >sources. I'rima<y go;ol$ for the p.oject larg .. t .. " c<"' p~r~ l iye 1,,8min,: and , .itic.1 p .... hl .. m .... lvonll Ihr ... ugh Ih" makingo' IIrt. Man y of Ihe IKhools llp led 10 ullll>:e Ihe dlvcrslly of their , ullural ludltlon . In the dcvelopment of a uo,'I u .. coo !ribul,on \0 the ,'rIlj"'l. Tal k "f iii dem'''' lJruul;hl t .. ~,~ ~nd ,eque$h Ih'l i\ atieul be muLched s ... Ih.t it, spl'lt could be passed on \0 bolh Ihe Amundsen Schoof gullen n"d th .. nc ighbo'huod" conllnunity Orj\An,( tI~ rd~,1. 

The Gallery

http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1202&context=jstae

The Gallery

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

VCU Scholars Compass