Art for Advocacy’s Sake

From the earliest cave paintings to Van Gogh’s The Potato Eaters, Picasso’s Guernica, and Fairey’s Hope, art has been used to advocate a point of view. Since art has the ability to inspire change, it has proven a worthy avenue with which to communicate the humanity of issues. And what...

By Pat Rothblatt

June 17, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

From the earliest cave paintings to Van Gogh’s The Potato Eaters, Picasso’s Guernica, and Fairey’s Hope, art has been used to advocate a point of view. Since art has the ability to inspire change, it has proven a worthy avenue with which to communicate the humanity of issues. And what could be more human about people than their problems?

Unfortunately, according to local artist Louis Davis, today’s generation doesn’t seem to be inspired by much. In his words, they “lack empathy” and in turn fail to come forward as the great leaders of social change. Davis hopes to correct that on a local level by showcasing a group of local visual and performance artists who use their art for advocacy. The show will include works like Mac Attack, which portrays fat, faceless Americans next to the raising of the Golden Arches over Iwo Jima, as well as Hide My Light, an update of the inscription on the Statue of Liberty to protest Arizona’s immigration law.

“Art as Activist” opens at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Sailboat Bend Artists Lofts (1310 SW Second Court, Fort Lauderdale). Workshops, artist talks, and performances will be held every Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. until closing on July 10. Admission is free. Call 954-249-7352, or visit louisdavisart.com.
Sat., June 19, 7 p.m.; June 19-July 10, 2010

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.