Lesson 6
There is a long standing relationship between art and activism. In this lesson we look at examples of how artists have used their media to help raise awareness of social issues.
Success Criteria:
By the end of these lessons, you will have reinforced your understanding of art as activism.
Response documents and Photoshop files will be uploaded to OneDrive and a link shared with your teacher.
“The assumption that seeing is believing makes us susceptible to visual deception. What is known is not necessarily what is believed, what is shown is not necessarily what is seen, and what is said is not necessarily what is heard”.Kathleen Hall Jamieson
REMINDER
When you see this icon with the question mark a response from you is required. These responses need to be uploaded to OneDrive and shared with me.
Eminem – The Darkness.
Question Time
1. What is the main theme of this video clip?
2. The video has had over 43 million views on YouTube. In your opinion, why has it had so much success?
3. Why do you think that this video clip is considered to be controversial?
4. What does Eminem’s view on gun ownership seem to be?
5. What other perspectives exist on this topic?
6. What are some of the ‘artistic’ elements of the video clip?
7. The song and video clip are based on the Las Vegas shootings that killed 59 people and injured 500 others.
In 2017 – there were nearly 40 000 gun related deaths in the United States. What it your initial reaction to these statistics?
1. Nail Art as Micro-Activism: What are your initial thoughts on this type of art? Create an artistic statement for this artist.
2. Poetic Pilgrimage: What topic are they trying to bring more awareness to?
3. Street Artist: Research an artist named Banksy. Find three images he made and make a statement about his art.
4. The Punctuation Police: These artists fix grammar mistakes in graffiti. What are your thoughts on this?
5. Syrian Artist Unite: This group make scaled models of cities and monuments that have been destroyed by war so that they have a tangible record of their history. Explain your opinion on whether or not this is art.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of mural art as a form of activism?
As a form of art, murals would be costly on a large scale. Use the link to the Austalia Council for the Arts website and find answers to the following questions:
Who can apply for arts grants?
how much they can apply for?
How do you apply?
What criteria do they use to select the successful artist?
Use this time to catch up on any tasks left incomplete in prior lessons. Remember to upload them to OneDrive and send the link to me!
