Social Issues Creating Awareness Through Imagery Contemporary Arts Curriculum Sewanhaka Central High School District Spring 2013 Compiled by Jessica Martinez

Aim: How do artists create social awareness through their artwork? Do Now: List 3 social or political issues that are important to you. Homework: Research a social or political issue. Print out commentary on your chosen issue. Find 3-4 quotes about your chosen issue. Find 3-4 found images in magazines or newspapers that reflect or represent your chosen issue. For ideas see handout and/or go to:

Understand the difference. Social issues: Social issues are political debates involving moral judgements about how people should live. Social movement: Social movements are an organized effort to encourage or discourage some dimension of social change. Social policy: Social policy is a formal strategy to shape some aspect of social life. Social problems: Social problems are societal induced conditions that harms any segment of the population. Can you recall a recent social issue that has led to a social movement? Was social policy changed because of this movement?

Do you think artists can be a “voice” for social change? If so, how? The artists role in society is to create. They attempt to create works that stimulate the minds of a society and energize their spirits. Within this, at times, the artist may be fueled to reflect the current times and state their feelings in art.

There is an abundance of issues in our society, many of which people are very familiar with and feel strongly about. The message the works carry is subtle yet comprehensible. That is why many people are drawn to or can relate to contemporary art and support its development. Due to the fact that the concept being carried by the art piece is relevant to current situations, there are many foundations and private corporations that support the growth and emergence of contemporary art. Contemporary art and social issues

Group Work LOOK! DISCUSS! CRITIQUE! 5 Minutes!! Get into groups of two and carefully look at the artwork distributed. Discuss. On a sheet of paper answer the following questions. –What is your initial reaction to the piece? –What visual elements and principles can you identify in the work? –What social issue do you think the artist is commenting about? –How do you think the artist is successful in creating a reaction from the viewer (you)? Please create meaningful critiques. You will present your findings to the class.

GROUP 1 You Are Not Yourself. Barbara Kruger

GROUP 2 Money Can Buy You Love. Barbara Kruger

GROUP 3 Give Me All You’ve Got. Barbara Kruger

GROUP 4 Your Manias Become Science. Barbara Kruger

GROUP 5 We Don’t Need Another Hero. Barbara Kruger

GROUP 6 Face It. Barbara Kruger

GROUP 7 Super Rich / Ultra Gorgeous / Extra Skinny / Forever Young. Barbara Kruger

GROUP 8 Your Body is a Battleground. Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger Do you recognize a theme in Kruger’s artwork? I Shop Therefore I Am. Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger In 1979, Kruger began to use found images in her art, mostly from mid-century American print-media sources, with words collaged directly over them. These early collages in which Kruger deployed techniques she had perfected as a graphic designer, began the artist’s ongoing political, social, and especially feminist commentaries on religion, racial and gender stereotypes, consumerism, corporate greed, and power.

Barbara Kruger During the early 1980’s, Kruger perfected a signature style, using cropped, large scale, black- and-white photographic images juxtaposed with aphorisms (original thoughts), printed in Futura Bold typeface against black, white, or deep red text bars. Juxtapose: The position of being placed close together or side by side, so as to permit comparison or contrast.

GROUP 9 Easy Come, Easy Go. Greg Gossel. 2012

GROUP 10 Advertise Here, Space Available. Greg Gossel. 2012

GROUP 11 By Any Means (Diptych). Greg Gossel. 2012

GROUP 12 Northeast. Greg Gossel. 2012

Greg Gossel With a background in design, Greg Gossel uses an expressive interplay of many diverse words, images and gestures. Since his first show in 2008 he has created many series that comment on how certain social groups are advertised to and/or affected by mass media.

Greg Gossel In his most recent series “Weathering The Storm”, Gossel works on paper and canvas, built upon a collection of scraps torn off old billboards and street advertisements in Minneapolis, Chicago and New York. Through this series, Gossel is commenting on social advertising and it’s influence on behavior.

Closure How do you think art can be used as a means of communication? Give examples from the work we viewed today.

References Women, Art, and Society by Whitney Chadwick.