Death of Socrates
The Death of Socrates – Artist: Jacques-Louis David – Dimensions: 1.3m x 1.96m
Location: The Metropolitan of Art – period: Neoclassicism – Created: 1777-1787 – Subject: Socrates – Medium: oil on canvas
Although he consulted Father Adry, a scholar on the subject, David’s depiction of Socrates death contains many historical inaccuracies. He removed many characters originally described in the dialogues of Plato. However, he included Apollodorus, the man leaning against the wall just within the arch, even though he is said to have been sent away by Socrates for displaying too much grief. David also historically misrepresented the ages of many of the pupils of Socrates, including Plato. Plato would have been a young man at the time of Socrates’s death, but in this painting he is the old man sitting at the foot of the bed. Even the face of Socrates is much more idealized than the classical bust that is typically used as a reference portrait of Socrates.[1] This underlines that Socrates life is projected out of Plato’s mind, whereas the old Plato idealises Socrates. Thus, the painting can rather be seen as an analysis than a failed historic depiction.Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_SocratesYes that was from Wikipedia but this was the only source I could find of Davids painting had some sort of viewpoint on how he personally saw socerates death.His references Bordes, Philippe. “David: Paris and Versailles.” The Burlington Magazine’ 132, no. 1043 (Feb. 1990): 154–156.De Caso, Jacques. “Jacques-Louis David and the Style ‘All’ antica’.” The Burlington Magazine 114, no. 835(Oct.1972):686-690.De Nanteuil, Luc. Jacques-Louis David. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1990.Lajer-Burcharth, Ewa. Necklines: The Art of Jacques-Louis David after the Terror. New Haven: Yale, 1999.Maleuvre, Didier. “David Painting Death.” Diacritics’ 30, no. 3 (Fall 200): 1–27.Plato, Eva T. H. Brann, Peter Kalkavage, Eric Salem . Phaedo. Focus Publishing/R. Pullins: Bloomington,1998.Vidal, Mary. “David among the Moderns: Art, Science, and the Lavoisiers.” Journal of the History of Ideas56, no. 4 (Oct. 1995):595–623.
A few years ahead of the French Revolution, The Death of Socrates was commissioned by the Trudaine de Montigny brothers, two radical political reformers who were calling for an upheaval of French norms by promoting a free market system. To them, Socrates was a hero who sacrificed himself to his principles rather than accepting banishment and shame. In this painting of stoicism in the face of death, David was creating a clarion call for how the rebels should push toward their goals, not with cowardice and outcry like Socrates’s students—save for Plato and Crito!—but with self-control, honor, and fearlessness.
In 1784, David debuted Oath of Horatii, which depicted a Roman legend with vibrant colors of crimson and blue.This palette was panned by critics, who called it “garish.” As such, art historians suspect that David chose to subdue his reds in this piece. Notably, the colors grow more vibrant toward the center of the painting, thus drawing our eyes to Socrates and the young man holding the cup of poison. Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/501955/15-things-you-should-know-about-jacques-louis-davids-death-socrates
To me the message was clear that something was going on. Without knowing who the man actuially was, it had to of been some tragedy.
Untitled wall around Donald Trump’s Walk of Fame star
Complete with barbed wired and tiny “Keep Out” signs, the work played of Trump’s controversial statements about building a wall on the southern border of the U.S. as part of a plan for immigration reform. The artist, known for progressive messages on social inequality, used the work to oppose Trump’s comments.
“Personally, I’ve got nothing against Donald Trump,” Plastic Jesus told The Huffington Post. “I have everything against his policies and the culture he’s trying to create in America.”
Source: https://mashable.com/2016/09/24/public-art-social-good/?europe=true
A message that he wanted to portray ended up around his star as a piece of art protesting the idea in a peaceful way, almost saying that if you do this, this is what will become of a reputation for you.
A Tale Of Two Hoodies (racism)
40″ x 30″ | oil on canvas
KKK hood. The KKK has a long history of violence, is the most infamous – and oldest – of American hate groups . Unlike the flag—which lurks beneath the surface of the other flag, the KKK hood conceals the identity of the police officer’s face, suggesting that police openly practice racism. The issue of racial profiling didn’t happen overnight; rather comes from centuries of systemic racism. D’Antuono exposes this complex history with two key symbols of racism in America: the Confederate flag and a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) hood.
The response is every bit as important and as the art,” confesses D’Anuono . The paintings are always created with the public in mind, as he attempts to ruthlessly put the issue in blank terms right in front of the audience so that they may not continue to ignore it but become conscious of the problem as well as inspired to make changes in the system. A Tale of Two Hoodies presents the issue many African American men face — being labeled as suspicious for nothing more than the color of their skin. After 230 years of American history, the American Public seems to have formed a profile of what danger looks like, regardless of the actual actions of the man; he is declared guilty by his physical appearance. He creates controversial art intending to spark emotion and provoke public discourse. During the last decade, a number of D’Antuono’s works have garnered significant public attention: The Truth, which features the crucifixion of president Barack Obama; Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which alludes to the issue of pedophilia in the Catholic church; and most recently, A Tale of Two Hoodies, which references the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, an African American boy who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, who justified his violent act under the Florida Stand Your Ground law. Created in the wake of this violence, D’Antuono’s painting addresses national and historic issues of race relations in America. A Tale of Two Hoodies symbolizes the travesty of racially profiling innocent children and the effect of racism in law enforcement and the judicial system.
All od this information can be found here: http://artperspectives.web.unc.edu/controversy/two-hoodies/two-hoodies-essay/
In my eyes its how that the cops in america- the older ones, have different beliefs, its to believe that half od the USA uniformed are part of the KKK or even white supremasists. In more times that theres a death because of an officer its 9 times out of 10 a person of color. This happens to caucasion people just not on the same level as people of colour. The recent BLM protest can hold accountable for that. More black men and women died standing for whats right, Just as many as caucasion men and woman.
I believe that Georges aim was to make a very clear piece about racism. The officer is a caucasion, seeming to be old cop. And the little boy is black and innocently handing him a share packet of sweets. Offering piece even though you have a gun to youre head the whole time, As a “watch your head” stance.
Pietà
American Gods: N/A (2018) is a mediation which examines the fallibility of Americana by placing blacks at the forefront of its narrative. Between three acts a mother mourns holding her fallen son evoking Michaelangelo’s Pietà, a diva sings a requiem (Lift Every Voice and Sing- The Black National Anthem) for America to an empty church and a group of five artists/activist dressed in all black dawn the masks of their philosophical counterparts. Using the American flag to tie these scenes together, American Gods: N/A addresses issues of gun violence against black males, the separation of church and state or the state as church and historical/contemporary black activism Written and conceived by TYLONN J. SAWYER FILMED BY JAMIN TOWNSELY VOCALS BY LASHAUN PHOENIX MOORE SCHEHERAZADE WASHINGTON PARRISH EVAN PARRISH TAWANA PETTY JOEL “FLUENT” GREENE SYDNEY G. JAMES NANDI COMER
Source: https://gramho.com/media/2316228512011225760
Pietà 72” x 48” Oil on canvas 2018
Brief artist description: Tylonn Sawyer: From racism, from police brutality, the intersection of history, and the absurdity of pop culture. I like my work to have a certain degree of visual poetry to it, rather than just objectively being what it is that you see in front of you. And so, when I look at something like the pieta — if you think about Michelangelo’s Pieta — that is still a very poignant sort of subject matter to have. A mother mourning the death of her son, or child in general. It is something that is visceral, and no matter what language you speak, it’s something that I think anybody seeing that image would understand.
Here to stay,
“Illustrations to dismantle patriarchal nonsense and systemic racism.”
Lukashevsky works in a pastel palette, framing the characters in her illustrations against a variety of pink and blue backgrounds.
My hope is that people take the illustrations to heart and follow the instructions on how to take action when I provide them.
Source: https://www.designsponge.com/2017/11/combining-art-social-justice-ashley-lukashevsky.html
Ive had a look at her pieces and I really like them. They all convey a message, and helps people embrace their self.
The lines are all thick and very curved, it seems to not be too controlled rather it seems very loose and fluid. She knows where shes going when drawing, theres almost like theres a idea in her head already and she just needs to put the brush down and it all flows out. Theres no need to always talk, the actions of her art speaks louder than anything.
What connects all of these images is that rather than showing people facing oppression, they highlight people coming together. The illustrations, like Lukashevsky, are optimistic: “It gives me more hope to be able to draw what I want the future to look like instead of reinstating the harm and pain that is existing right now. I really rely on hope a lot because of the situation that we’re in with all of these cis-, hetero-, patriarchal, capitalist bullshit systems.”
Source: https://www.thecut.com/2020/01/ashley-lukashevsky-drawing-a-better-world.html
Image by Australian street artist “Meek”,
stencil art of his “Begging for Change”
stencil
Signed dated and inscribed, lower right below image, in black ink ‘Meek ’04 A.P.’
printed image 89.1 (h) x 73.5
cmGordon Darling Australia Pacific Print Fund 2007
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Street artist Meek (an ironic name which draws attention to the usual boastfulness of street artists) sprayed Begging for change on a railway station wall in Melbourne. The 2004 record of this stencil in the Gallery’s collection features a life-size man, sitting dejectedly at ground level, holding a sign that reads, “Keep your coins, I want change”. By displaying this work on a railway station wall Meek was able to engage a public, who, in their daily commute, pass by homeless and symbolically disenfranchised people every day. The text on the homeless man’s sign, however, suggests a more altruistic plight than the individual homeless. Witty and irreverent, this work visually composes a strong social comment about money and its inability to solve all problems. It also expresses the concerns of many street artists regarding the lack of good political leadership in Australia during the early 2000s, a period considered to be the zenith of stencil art production in Melbourne. Through this work Meek also demonstrates the power of text, essential to poster-based design but also prevalently used by fine-art-school trained artists and graphic designers.
Source: https://nga.gov.au/exhibition/spaceinvaders/default.cfm?IRN=162193&MnuID=3&ViewID=2
This is a piece that screams out above all the others. Change is more needed than money in people’s mind. As time has gone on there’s a higher demand for money in the world, no one wants to share their hard-earned cash and there for, become selfish. This all leads up no not caring and not worrying about the world now. That can be how the attitude of people are, company’s as well as the earths health, its dropping significantly each passing year.
FREEDOM TO LEAD
Source: https://www.1stdibs.co.uk/art/prints-works-on-paper/shepard-fairey-freedom-to-lead-daw-aung-san-suu-kyi-shepard-fairey-obey-contemporary-print/id-a_5589792/
Source: https://artsforsocialjustice.weebly.com/shepard-fairey.html
Both founders were deeply involved in the 2007 Saffron Revolution and continue their struggle for peace, freedom and democracy with the Peace Campaign through peace walks around the world and through the distribution of peace stickers and T-shirts.
Additional projects of The Best Friend include operating two schools for Burmese migrants in Thailand, plus a Relocation Center for Burmese refugees currently living on the rubbish dump of Mae Sot.
http://www.thebestfriend.org/2010/07/05/relocation-peace/
Ester Hernandez, “Sun Mad,” 1982
In response to the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s and early ’60s, Mexican-American groups also organized to fight for social and political change. Unfair labor practices, voting restrictions and housing discrimination were common experiences for Chicanos and Mexican immigrants in America. For the many Mexican-American migrant workers, the formation of the United Farmworkers of America (UFWA) was a critical development. From 1965 the UFWA, led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, organised a series of successful strikes and boycotts against major American grape growers, demanding better wages and employment rights. The boycotts thrust the issue of conditions for farmworkers onto the dinner tables of America. Hernandez became involved with the UFWA, which, along with with her engagement in the politically charged Berkeley community in the 1970s, confirmed her sociopolitical artistic identity and commitment to activism.
Source: https://artinprint.org/article/ester-hernandez-sun-mad/
Source: https://baltimoreartplusjustice.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/creative-capital-maria-martinez-on-the-art-of-social-justice/
Justice for breonna Justice for Ahmaud Justice for George
Her art is very powerful, While people of all races were being killed, the one that shocked everyone was the death of the innocent black people that were living a normal life. I absolutely love how she has portrayd the men and women in such a soft way, to make us think, why would anyone kill any of these people in cold blood.
Shirien does a lot of social justice work, all races and men and women alike, she only wants a world where all races can be accepted. With such talent anyone would want to use their platform and art as something that they can share to protest or even spread awareness, that is what she has done with this current BLM movement. And we are all very aware of it.
Source: https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a32688070/shirien-damra-instagram-tributes/
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