Chapter readings

 Introduction:

• "Peering back further and casting our gaze wider, we encounter the poetry of Muhammad, the pre-figurative performance of Jesus, the spectacles of Moses, and engaging riddles of the Buddha. The more we look, the more we find examples of artistic activism."

- When look back into history and historical and biblical figures, there's parallel between now and then. Especially when it comes to protest and standing up against authoritarian leaders. Forms of protest has evolve throughout centuries and we can compare current forms of protest of those back then. 

• Our modern political terrain is a highly mediated landscape of signs and symbols, story and spectacle. For us to stage successful battles on this cultural topographical we need to observe, think, analyze, and respond creatively. We need to become artistic activists."

- Signs, symbols, and people's stories are important parts of activism. Especially symbols, with powerful symbols people will know what the meaning is along with the group of people. 

Chapter 1:

• We should always remember the first rule of guerrilla warfare: know your terrain and use it to your advantage. If we are going to be effective as artistic activists, we need to operate on real terrain, not on basis of the democratic fantasy of the European coffee house. This means rational understanding that politics are not only rational. The truth about politics is that it is not about truth. Politics is about people's perceptions of the truth, their feelings about facts, and their visceral experiences of the world."

- This passage from chapter 1 goes into depth with the lining issues with politics. It's all about people's opinions and feelings trumping serious issues down. People want to live in their own bubble and refues to see any other point of views or experiences other then their own. People have to understand that most of the time these politicians we vote and agree with don't care about us, not will fix problems that's going on. 

• Conversely, artistic activism is not simply activism that adds art as a window dressing. This is too often how art is urd by organizations and advocacy groups, who may ask an artist to design a poster or banner, or donate their talents and prestige to raise money or awareness for a shared cause. Artistic techniques may help to make a protest more palatable, or profit a cause, but without using creativity in designing tactics, strategies, or goals from square one, these organizations are squandering a valuable resource."

- This passage shows another issue with art activism which when corporations and companies that sees any political movement as a trend and for profit. For an example, when BLM was viral, companies had made post supporting the movement aslong with promoting their deals and products with colorful corporate art of fists and people applaud these companies for their "activism" when they're using an movement for profit. The movement it dies companies and people too forget about and move on to the next viral movement. People sees movements and causes as trends and forget that these movement are created for a reason.

This artwork from the chapter 1 is an creative protest staged by Iraq veterans against the war in U.S. cities. The drawing uses uses slogans and setting an scene on what's going on.