Should Art be devoid of Politics? Essay Example

the general public is such that the protests continue to this day, which is most visible in the blogosphere and alternative media commentary. In this backdrop, some creative artists in the United States and elsewhere have tried to employ various art forms to register their protest. The recently inaugurated play by Karen Malpede, titled Prophecy takes the audience into the heart of the Iraq war. It explores the complex web of links between various sections of civil society when a region is militarily intervened. Starring such stalwart actors as Kathleen Chalfant, Andre de Shields and George Bartenieff, the play brings out the far-reaching consequence of any war and underscores the chaos and disruption that attends it. If not directly being didactic about wars of all sorts, the play subtly implies the futility of war.

Indeed, the anti-war message from the theatre community has been so resonant in the last decade that a thematic anthology was published recently. For example, the book titled “Acts of War: Iraq and Afghanistan in Seven Plays”, published by Northwestern University Press is one such compendium. Alongside Malpede, it features talented playwrights as David Hare, Victoria Brittain, Lydia Stryk, Bill Cain, Noami Wallace, and Simon Stephens. More importantly, all these plays have had moderate to outstanding public reception, making the point that there is such a thing as the successful integration of politics into art. It must be borne in mind though that the artists associated with such plays had to endure several threats – in forms that are both overt and covert. Being part of a production team that asks uncomfortable questions of political power can potentially damage one’s career. But

the success of these plays suggests that the playwrights’ views are synchronous with that of the general public. Hence, it is fair to say that these artists have done the morally and democratically right thing; and importantly shown that art forms can be emphatic mediums of dispersing public sentiment.

The same is true with most other art forms as well. Indeed, the Internet has helped the medium of radio reinvent itself, as many independent journalists have collaborated to establish listener-supported radio stations that are free of advertisements and the attendant pressure that the latter brings to the editorial process. Through this medium, a new genre of music has evolved that pertains with subject matters such as poverty, abuse of power, the state of democracy, social injustices, etc. These songs may not have the same popular appeal as those produced by leading music labels, but they exhibit virtues such as honesty and compassion. Again the artists that venture in this direction are attracting the ire of the establishment. The banning of Dixie Chicks’ songs from all Clear Channel radio stations due to their open disapproval of it is a case in point.

But of all the forms of art that have taken up war (especially those instigated by the United States in recent times) as their subject matter, the literary art is the most vocal outlet of dissent and free expression. In so far as the non-fiction genre too is considered an art form, a wide range of critical commentary has been inspired by ongoing military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq. The incisive analysis of intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky and Christopher Hitchens is a classic illustration. Although

the viewpoints presented by them are the exact opposites, they nevertheless contribute to the public’s understanding of the situation and to that extent serve a democratic purpose.

So, in conclusion, it is fair to say that the infusion of art into current socio-political issues (the most important of which is American military intervention) has been a beneficial one. It has benefited both the general public and patrons of art equally by making the discourse interesting, perceptive, and multi-dimensional. And aforementioned examples of artistic portrayal of ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq go on to prove the effectiveness and relevance of all art forms in helping our society progress. Hence art can be a powerful instrument for progressive social change.

References:

1. Karen Malpede’s Prophecy, Theater Three Collaborative, retrieved from , on 6h September, 2010.
2. Art for Social Change, retrieved from <http://www.artforsocialchange.net/home.html>, on 6th September, 2010
3. Groys, Boris, Art Power, Cambridge: MIT Press, Published in 2008. ISBN 0262072920.