Artistic Themes #1

Social Commentary 1.) What first comes to mind when picturing art that comments or gives the artist’s opinion about current events are political cartoons and caricatures. Political cartoons in general either receive very positive or very negative feedback and that’s what’s intimidating to me about social commentary with art. You’re speaking your mind with no filter and putting your beliefs on public display for everyone to judge. I’ve only just started experimenting with putting some social commentary into my art; In the “Pick One of Four” assignment I chose the Self Portrait Without Your Likeness combined with RE/Mix-Appropriation. Being adopted from China and raised by white parents in a predominantly white society created an unusual upbringing environment for both me and my sister. With my Pick One of Four piece I started to touch on how it felt to grow up as a minority and not seeing myself, or people that looked like me represented in movies, or TV shows. This feeling of losing touch with one’s cultural heritage or identity is more widely talked about now and in the future, I hope to create more pieces that represent what I felt and feel. Also, to create pieces that encourage others to embrace their cultural heritage. (I also feel that Personal Themes could tie into my pieces with social commentary. My pieces about events or feelings in my life often comment on the social climate of that time.)