What did I learn from this class?

I learned a greater variety of poetry styles that were previously unknown to me. I also learned the weird, and strange side of poetry, mainly visual poetry. In my opinion, all art could be considered visual poetry by the loose terms defining this genre. 

Given what you have learned about the last 100 or so years in the visual and literary arts, what would you say the role of the artist is in society today?

From what I have learned about the last 100 years or so in the visual and literary arts, I would say artists are a vehicle for expressing universal emotion.  Artist Andre Deherra, when asked about an artist’s role in society, says this;

“The artist provides society with emotions, color, and texture. Scientists think up of ways to make life easier, builders and technicians turn those scientific ideas into tangible objects. These things help us - they blend our foods, put roofs over our heads, make mowing the lawn easier - but they never add real emotion. Artists come in to play on our emotions and subconscious thoughts. Amazingly, artists know how to elicit these strong feelings by creating images on canvas and clay.” 

(artpromotivate.com)

Art is about connecting with the audience’s emotions. Look at Van Gogh’s paintings; his broad brushstrokes and this layering of paint is meant to do nothing other than express emotion on a tangible level. Revolutionary artists are not only political radicals, but Bohemian radicals as well. Van Gogh is what one may consider a Bohemian Radical. He would focus on changing how people think, by accessing their emotions. The emotional impact of his art is strong and of great importance. In previous decades, the artist’s role appears to promote change, whether it be a societal change, or an art concept. The role of the Bohemian artist  such as Picasso and Van Gogh also often includes contempt for the middle classes, an element of self-destruction and a belief that an artist must suffer. The protest against society and conformity often does not take an artistic form, but more of a behavioral one. 

Modern-day artists are a true paradox. We often joke that our children can create works created by a variety of contemporary artists. Yet that is not all true.  Artists create work fueled by their societal environment, but typically exist on the skirts of societal construct. Historian and social activist Howard Zinn accurately describes the artist as ‘transcendent,’ or someone who thinks “outside of the framework that society has created.” An artist acting outside of that framework, and in many cases outside of society itself, are free to be the most honest and constructive members of humanity. They make it their business to examine the institutions that guide our lives and further question them. An artist possesses the ability to translate those questions into a visual format relatable to a majority of the populous. Political cartoons are a great example of this type of questioning. Where political ideals and governmental changes are mocked and brought into hyperbole.