Rachel Knight Blog 3; Art21 Protest 4

This program deals with art as a protest, making a point and letting out the artists message to the world, following four artists, showing exactly what they do and why they do it. Nancy Spero began by focusing her art on the atrocities that occurred during the Vietnam War. Through news clippings that she viewed, she was inspired to create artwork involving politics. Focusing on various projects and interesting pieces, Spero takes an idea and runs with them completely, making sure every piece of art is different. Next An- My Le was featured. Studying war and focusing on specific issues, she photographs military practices. Photographing war reenactors, Spero really attempts to capture the feeling of war. By spending time with war reenactors, Spero got to capture photographs with a sense of uncertainty for her project. Since Spero is unable to photograph the current wars going on in the world, she relies on this, showing what she sees through photography.
Next the program shifts to Alfredo Jaar who opens up with his strong beliefs in a single idea. Approaching art with a background in architecture, Alfredo studies the space of art, whether it exists within the artwork or around what he wants to create and moves on from there. Alfredo uses the case of the genocide in Rwanda for a project, taking six years to complete, including 21 pieces. He wanted the audience to identify with every single person who had lost their lives in this genocide. He did this through creating an extraordinary exhibit using elements like wind and water. The exhibit appears to be overwhelming, but in a good way, making a point of the atrocities that occur in this world. It is something that I would definitely make a point to see if I had a chance. Lastly, the program features Jenny Holzer and her work, which contains a lot of electronic words.
Holzer’s work is unlike anything I have ever seen before. She expands her mind and makes the content of the writing the focus and the importance of the works. She realizes the importance of short phrases, rather than sentences in certain settings, like busy city streets. She uses the text of others that has been released to create her art. She also engages in politics, war and inequalities through the words she uses. I most certainly enjoy her art, finding the use of words something different and intriguing. These four artists definitely used art as a protest, expressing their feelings and beliefs on issues in the world, creating a lasting effect on viewers.