HOW TO MAKE POLITICAL ART Laura Kirby-McIntosh, O.C.T. © For classroom/training purposes only Do not reproduce without permission

Do some research. Take a look at what's already out there Do some research! Take a look at what's already out there. Have other artists tried to tackle this issue before? What approach did they use? Find your inspiration!

Try to communicate one message only Try to communicate one message only. Make sure that the point you're trying to make is singular. If you're audience doesn't get it, your art won't be effective— or it will be accessible only to a small group of people. That sort of defeats the purpose. FOCUS YOUR ISSUE.

THINK OF YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE The kind of art you make for a gallery show or gala performance is very different from commercial art. Political art, as a genre, is unique. Think about reaching as many people as possible, and making your message clear and accessible to a large audience. THINK OF YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE Ai Weiwei, the “Finger” and the urns project—painting & smashing Han dynasty urns.

Art is meant to make people think, so don't be afraid to challenge your audience. With that being said, remember that being bold is very different from being vulgar or crude. Given that this is a high school project, not something you're making for a private gallery or performance, don't go out of your way to be offensive.) Be bold.

FOLLOW THE ART WHEEVER IT TAKES YOU Sometimes art has its own agenda. Many artists who have have said that they started out the creative process with one topic in mind, but then the art pulled them in another direction and they felt that they had to switch gears. If that happens, go with it ! FOLLOW THE ART WHEEVER IT TAKES YOU

WRITE an artists' statement This should be a one paragraph summary of your work, explaining the topic you chose and why, and telling the audience about the creative process you followed while you were making your piece. If you’ve made a piece of visual art, the statement should be displayed next to your piece. If you're doing a performance, you could read to your audience either just before or just after. A good site for info on how to write an artist's statement: http://www.mollygordon.com/resourc es/marketingresources/artstatemt/ This piece is called “X.” My inspiration for this piece was…. The reason I chose to create this was… The materials I chose to work with were…because…. In my piece, X symbolizes / is meant to portray… What this piece means to me is… WRITE an artists' statement

AND NOW, FOR SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF POLITICAL ART…

Barack Obama campaign poster by Shepard Fairey

On the right, a spoof of the Shepard Fairey poster, used to promote the Occupy Wall Street protests.

A political cartoon

The Guerrilla girls are an anonymous group of feminists devoted to fighting against sexism within the visual fine art world internationally.

Location: Estrada Courts Address: 3217 Olympic Blvd Location: Estrada Courts Address: 3217 Olympic Blvd. Artist: El congreso de Artistas Cosmicos de las Americas de San Diego Keywords: exterior, memorial, political, mural Area: East L.A./Monterey Park (mural number 21 (L) in Street Gallery). This tribute to Che Guevara was painted in 1978 by artists from the Chicano PArk struggle in San Diego. It was restored in 1995 by MCLA. The mural reads: "In memoriam to the Guevrillero Heroico, el Doctor Che. Dia del Rebelde International XI aniversario Oct. 8th 1978." The original artists were Mario Torero, Rocky, El Lion, and Zade. The restorers were Mario Torero and Carmen Kalo, assisted by Ernesto de laLoza.

Another political cartoon.

Yes, t-shirt slogans can be art Yes, t-shirt slogans can be art. They certainly make you stop and think…

With PhotoShop, now anyone can make a statement using political art!

Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine irreverent dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique. Such artistic works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world.[1]

In August 2005, Banksy painted nine images on the Israeli West Bank barrier, including an image of a ladder going up and over the wall and an image of children digging a hole through the wall

LET’S REVIEW! Find your inspiration Think of your audience Focus your issue Be bold Follow the art wherever it takes you Write an artist’s statement