Represents an important aspect in the context of modern culture, where artists use their creativity to raise issues of social problems and inequalities. This art form acts as an effective tool for highlighting social issues, stimulating discussion and eliciting reactions from viewers. In this article, we will look at how artists translate their ideas into works and how these works can contribute to the fight for social justice.

Art of Action: The Impact of Artists on Social Awareness

Art is not only a way of expressing beauty and aesthetics, but also a powerful tool for social impact. Contemporary artists are often passionate about one agenda or another social theory. They respond to current events related to human rights, ecology, gender, race, class and other aspects of social justice. They ask uncomfortable questions or simply capture the present through their artistic eye and/or a method commonly called optics. In this way, they not only demonstrate their position and criticism, but also attract public attention and call for action.

In the corner of a small town, where reality intertwines with art, three unique aspects of creativity are revealed: protest, socially critical and socially positive art. It is here, in this artistic labyrinth, that each direction carries strength and expressiveness, speaking to different aspects of human experience and the desire for change.

The art of resistance. It is a super-exciting way of expressing dissatisfaction with the existing political or social order, supporting certain ideas or movements, condemning violence, corruption and other evils. All this takes the form of graffiti, posters, monuments, performances and installations. One of the remarkable examples of protest art is the work of ArtLords, whose collective has been decorating public spaces in Kabul since 2014, creating vivid images and caricatures ridiculing influential Afghans. These works of art convey the people's anger at corruption and useless government, as well as their thirst for peace and freedom. However, after the Taliban seized power in 2021, these artistic masterpieces were either painted over or replaced with Islamist slogans.

Analysis of society in art. This is a peering into social reality, identifying its contradictions, shortcomings, stereotypes and discrimination. Socially critical art, being more subjective and metaphorical, is not always explicitly directed and does not always have a specific addressee. It is rather a challenge to self-understanding, a search for new forms of communication and expanding the boundaries of art. One of the amazing examples of social-critical art is the work “Gospel subjects in Russian painting of the 19th century: a spiritual and moral search.” The author of this work examines how 19th-century artists transferred the scenes of the New Testament to their time, reflecting their spiritual and moral quests, criticism of social orders and faith in the ideals of Christianity.

The art of positive influence. This is a focus on creating and disseminating positive values, strengthening social connections, support and inspiration. Socially positive art, which is more emotional and engaging, does not always relate to a clear social context or issue. Its purpose is self-expression, creation of beauty and harmony, development of creativity and cooperation. An excellent example of socially positive art is How a Work of Art Becomes a Social Justice Society. This work describes how Richard Wagner, in his treatise The Work of Art of the Future, saw art as a tool for creating a new society based on unity and fraternity, the expression of the will of the people and utopian ideals.

In conclusion, art turns out to be not just a form of aesthetic expression, but also a powerful tool for social impact. Contemporary artists, whether abstract artists, protest artists or creators of socially positive art, become a kind of mediators between art and society, contributing to the dialogue about problems and aspirations:

• Protest art, by embodying discontent and activating public calls for change, becomes a living testimony of the times. It not only demonstrates the position of the artists, but also mobilizes public consciousness, calling for action.
• Social-critical art, in turn, reveals the complexities of social reality, causing the viewer to reflect on shortcomings and contradictions. This art becomes a mirror in which society sees itself and an opportunity to seek new forms of interaction and change.
• Socially positive art, on the other hand, offers its bright colors as a means of influencing positive values and inspiration. It creates beauty and harmony, stimulating creativity and bringing people together.

Thus, art in its various manifestations acts as an important catalyst for social dialogue, representing multiple voices and perspectives in the pursuit of a better society.

Paints of Justice: How Artists Make You Think About Social Issues Through Painting

Artists’ brushes embody not only the world of colors and shapes, but also a storm of social problems. Painting, as the most accessible and widespread form of art, is becoming an integral part of the expression of protest and social criticism. If we agree that painters “depict reality with paints,” then, undoubtedly, the majority of protest artists, when picking up brushes, choose not only colors, but also an expression of their attitude to political realities.

The invisible transitions between colors on the canvas begin to find a voice, telling stories of struggle, dictatorship and violence. The abstraction in their work becomes a metaphor for a complex reality, and each brush stroke becomes a statement shouting out issues that require attention and change. These works of art are not just colorful images, but powerful catalysts for dialogue, provoking the public consciousness to think about the complex issues of our time.

Andrey Savitsky, “Order N°00447”, Belarus

 

It is believed that landscape painting, like landscape poetry, is rather an escapist art, but here before you is an example of the opposite: a political landscape. Not only the colors, but also the title tell us about the artist’s political gesture. Order N°00447 is the operational order of the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR No. 00447 “On the operation to repress former kulaks, criminals and other anti-Soviet elements.” This became the largest action of the Great Terror, during which about 1.7 million people were arrested, 690 thousand people were shot, about 1 million people. sent to camps.

Since for the most part the current rulers of post-Soviet countries are successors to Soviet power, and continue to pursue policies similar to Soviet ones, especially in the field of repressive measures, this landscape simultaneously tells us about both the past and the present of Belarus.

Nurbol Nurakhmet, Constellation, 2018

 

The painting by Nurbol Nurakhmet is another example of politically charged landscape painting, but it is much more difficult to decipher it without knowing the context. The painting depicts a monument to Abai at the intersection of two important city arteries of Almaty - Abai and Dostyk (formerly Lenin) avenues. We see the space of a square drowning in greenery, reminding us of the main urban myth - the garden city, and a starry sky with traced lines and points of constellations. Upon closer examination, the celestial drawing turns out to be a schematic map of Almaty, the points on which make up the constellation. These “stars” mark the places of violently dispersed rallies. The artist views people’s attempts to defend their rights as a source of very distant light, which is present in the city landscape - romantic, languid, night, summer - and at the same time remains barely noticeable. The city location chosen for this statement is no less important: in front of us, in the distance, is the statue of Abai, a very important educator of the 19th century for Kazakhstani culture, who is called “the guiding star of the Kazakhs” in quotes from the former president posted on the main square of the city . Probably Abai is also part of the constellation.

Robin Doyle, "Adam", UK

 

Painters have been engaged in the service of religion for centuries, and many modern artists who have received an academic education are rethinking the classics of painting: they create homages to great paintings, fitting them into today's reality. So, in the work of Robin Doyle we see the arrest of Adam from Michelangelo's fresco. The arrest, according to the plot of the fresco, occurs immediately after creation, thus Adam’s crime can only consist in the very fact of his existence. That is, the reasons for his arrest are about the same as for the arrest of a pensioner in slippers who went out to a nearby store to buy bread.

Yana Chernova, “Belarusian Venus”

 

The artist Yana Chernova also turns to classical pictorial subjects, creating the image of the newest Belarusian Venus – the Beaten Venus. She was apparently beaten in the dungeons of Okrestina Lane, which has become a symbol of the sadistic cruelty of the Minsk security forces. In classical painting, a woman, in most cases, could only be an object. But in modern painting, as in modern politics, women are full-fledged subjects with their own voice and the right to choose. Instead of text for the work, the artist quotes Lukashenko’s words: “Everything was directed at them, so that the bruises would be shown. And now we see that some girls had their butts painted with blue paint. What, you didn't see this? We can show you these shots.” “Well, yes, someone had a blue back. But today there are no more bruises.” The authorities deny multiple facts of violence, and even force people to pay for keeping them in torture chambers. The authorities do not believe in women and women, but the Belarusian protest turned out to be incredibly persistent, including because the female half, through an oversight of this very government, received its own representative and felt political strength.

Derek Bacon, The Man Who Cares, Netherlands

 

Derek Bacon works in a technique called grisaille - this is monochrome painting. He creates a portrait not of a president, but of a military tyrant, who has isolated himself from what is happening with his own regalia and abuses his powers. On the table next to him is a pistol and an empty cocktail glass decorated with a flag, probably Russian. The artist seems to simply record reality, adding small changes to it, in this case, increasing the brim of the cap and placing the main events of modern Belarus literally on the head of its dictator. We see the world of the dictator himself, the predator - indifferent, abstract and relaxed, but always ready to attack, this world occupies most of the image; and we see the people of Belarus - small and seemingly insignificant, trying to break through the fields of their caps, which are vigilantly guarded by riot police. This work borders on political caricature, but the technique and realism of the execution makes it something more.

Anastasia Rydlevskaya, “How many ruined lives”

 

Anastasia Rydlevskaya transforms the injustice surrounding her into a terrible fairy tale, where at the same time you can recognize both real and fantastic characters: fierce riot police, who seem to be people too, become evil black wolves, devouring souls, around are villages engulfed in fire, and above them a translucent a woman trying to put out a fire with blood from her own heart. But for the artist, this fairy tale is no worse than the reality around her. In addition, all this directly influences her painting and graphic techniques. “This reality has sucked all my colors away,” she admits in a commentary on her other work on the same topic.

In the modern world, art carries not only an aesthetic function, but also becomes a powerful tool for viewing and analyzing social realities. Artists who raise political issues in their works create modern chronicles, reflecting on the canvas the malignant aspects and positive glimpses of modern reality.

Examples of political landscape painting, presented in the works of Andrei Savitsky and Nurbol Nurakhmet, clearly demonstrate that artists use skill and creativity to express their vision of political events. The symbolism and context in their works convey not only past tragedies, but also contemporary challenges facing society.

Continuing the theme of political painting, the works of Robin Doyle and Yana Chernova provide images that reinterpret classical motifs. The actualization of these motifs in modern reality allows artists to express their opinions on violence, highlight the relevance of political problems and provoke public dialogue.

Derek Bacon's work using grisaille is not only an art document, but also a metaphor for power, isolated from events and abusing its powers. The grisaille technique emphasizes the gloom of the scene and sharpens the view of the military tyrant.

Anastasia Rydlevskaya, in turn, creates a terrible fairy tale on canvas, transferring her perception of injustice into the world of magical images. Her works become a kind of response to reality, transforming the political situation into a mythological narrative.

As a result, these works of art are not only spectacular artificial creations, but also a reflection of a complex reality in which artists not only record past and present events, but also raise issues of social justice, political repression and a kind of internal protest.