Chapter 7
“If we are going to take this pledge seriously, it means asking ourselves, over and over: does it work? When it comes to artistic activism, questions of “what works?” and “how do we know?” are difficult to answer.” (245)
While I completely understand the reasoning behind this sort of perspective, I struggle due to the fact that so many of our issues are so deeply rooted in other issues. There are issues that cannot fundamentally be executed in change due to systematic layers, which would have to be undone layer by layer. It’s not easy to think about what works for one issue if it is correlating to another. Of course, if they can be impacted at once and there could be solutions in theory, that’s good, but that’s a really difficult thing to think about.
“Individuals can and do make a difference, but meaningful change often also requires shifts in policies and laws, practices and structures.”
I think a lot of people act with incentive for good behavior. In the same way, a lot of people don’t act certain ways because of laws. I think that if there were no rules and laws, it would obviously be pretty terrible. I trust that individuals can make their own decisions and can practice morality in the way they see fit. At the same time, I also believe that people behave in certain ways due to the threat of punishment by law. If certain people have no incentive to see things a certain way or to behave a certain way, they likely will not do as such, in my opinion.
“Most people have access to more information than they know what to do with. And this might be the very problem: we know too much. Faced with enormous volumes of information, we feel overwhelmed by infinite possibility and doubt and, paralyzed, we turn away.” (263)
This is actually something I know and think about very often. I think I’ve mentioned this once before in another one of my discussions, but my parents for example have so many resources at their fingertips but they do not want to learn. My mother, for instance, tells me that she does not care if she is not involved. Even if she is as a woman involved, she says that she simply does not care and does not want to be interested. Sometimes we make meaningful discussions and I even look up things for her in order to accurately describe things, including statistics and actual reviewed articles. If I am unable to express something correctly, I try to do my research and spread that information. Apparently not everyone wants to seek information nor does passing the information onto others really do much as a result. Sometimes we agree and it seems like she’s learned something. Then, a week or two later, it’s like we never talked about it. While this is not exactly the same exact thing, that is simply what it made me think about considering there is a denial happening. I think back to the dissonance I mentioned last week.
Bodies, Consumerism, and Inclusivity; The exploitative nature of clothed bodies under capitalism
Final Project Idea/Prompt:
My final project will involve visual identity and discussions of sizing inclusivity through clothing, consumerism, representation and ethics. I already began getting volunteers and recording responses.
I will be first providing people with info of the volunteer based questions, allowing people to answer out of 12 questions with as much info as they'd like. Each question is either geared toward visual identity, sizing, representation of clothes, and accessibility to clothing. I'll be taking their perspectives, either making graphics or illustrations out of them, and possibly adding illustrations OF the volunteers if they choose to be represented.
Will have a Zine component and a video component
Video component will include audio of any volunteers, and some visuals (can include the illustrations, or official advertising)
(Video can be scanned via Zine in order to gain access)
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| “Boxed In” Sketch illustration style |
My goal is to take perspectives and allow thought. I want people to read this and to think before they say something negative about representation. I still see a lot of people talk bad about people with eating disorders or people that are considered plus size. People are still consistently judging each other for their bodies and it’s very upsetting. We can at least treat people decently, and I want to use my art in order to describe certain feelings and experiences while giving people a bit of a platform to answer questions they feel strongly about. It’s especially easy online to not see people as people. If I can take peoples words and their voices and maybe make some thing that’s visually emotional, maybe there will be a lair of retrospection and care toward one another while thinking of these issues.
Inspirations:
1) The entire section in the textbook regarding benefits and costs!!
2) The Matlock Method
the literature table. “
Some of us have been behind it; we’ve all been in front of it. A flimsy fold-out table stacked high with flyers, reports, and books packed with facts designed to convince “the people” of what’s really going on. And we’ve all likely seen (or possibly created) artwork that seeks to perform a similar function: using bold images to “visualize data” and illustrate important information that, again, is hoped to awaken people to what’s really going on.” (172)
While what's happening isn't new by any means, this social perspective of consumerism, sizing, ethics, and visual identity usually goes unquestioned. All these issues are laced together and are rooted deeply in issues that go far beyond the vague broadness of each term. The idea of visualizing data does not have to always be literal data, but it can also be storytelling, experiences and personal data. Using images to illustrate and GIVING that to people, based on what people give me, is the idea. I feel like some “social politics” aren't given specific attention even though there's a lot of systematic problems that run within them. If given attention, maybe we can not be so passive or polarized by them.
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