Should art be aesthetic or political?

Title: Should art be aesthetic or political?

Author: Morven Mackinnon

Publication Year/Date: May 2024

Document Version: Fine Art Hons dissertation

License: CC-BY-NC-ND https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20933/100001303

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Abstract

This dissertation seeks to answer the question ‘Should Art be Aesthetic or Political?’

To answer this question, this dissertation will begin by discussing aesthetic artists and the intentions and impacts of their work It will investigate research conducted on the ability of aesthetic art to improve mental health and stress levels. It will then look at examples of individual artists and how creating aesthetic art helped their own physical and mental health. The second chapter will discuss political artists, their causes, and their effectiveness in raising awareness for their causes. It will show the political effects of art on big companies, then show how political artists help individuals, and how political art can help the artist themselves. The third and final chapter will show how art can be simultaneously aesthetic and political, and the ways this can be used effectively and the ways this can be misused. Finally the conclusion will highlight the most important points of this dissertation, and answer the question ‘Should Art be Aesthetic or Political?’ The answer of this dissertation is that art should be built on both the aesthetic and the political. Both have different outcomes and positive impacts, but understanding their individual uses allows them to be used most effectively. By understanding their individual use and importance, they can be used in combination with each other.

List of Cited Artworks

1.1. Morris, W. (1887) Willow Bough [Wallpaper] Jeffrey & Co. London

1.2. Nairn, J. (1886) Kildonan [Painting] Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow

1.3. Paterson, J. (1898) Edinburgh from Craigleith Quarry [Painting] The Fleming Collection, London

1.4. Godwin, E.W (1872) Side Table [furniture] The Met Museum, New York

1.5. Godwin, E.W. (1877) Cabinet with inset tiles [furniture] Bonhams, London

1.6. Monet, C. (1917–1919) Water Lilies. [Painting] Honolulu Museum of Art, Hawaii

2.1Kruger, B. (1989) Untitled (Your Body is a Battleground) [Silkscreen Print] The Broad, LA

2.2 Kruger, B (1999-2000) Untitled (Just Be Yourself) [Silkscreen Print] Location Unknown

2.3Guerrilla Girls (1989) Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum? [Screenprint on paper] Location Unknown

2.4Vani, J. (2017) MoMA Has a Gender Problem. Available at: https://medium.com/@jvani/moma-has-a-gender-problem-fb7b9350845 (Accessed on 30/12/2023)

2.5General Idea (1988) AIDS. [sculpture] Art Gallery of Ontario.

2.6 General Idea (1989/2021) AIDS Sculpture. [Sculpture] Esther Schipper Gallery, Berlin.

2.7Abromović, M. (1974) Rhythm 0 [Performance Piece] Tate, London

2.8 Abromović, M. (2010) The Artist is present. [Performance piece] MoMA, New York

3.1 Princess Mononoke (1997) Directed by Miyazaki, H. [Feature film] Japan: Toho

3.2 Pocahontas (1995) Directed by Walt Disney Studios [Feature film] United States: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

3.3 Avatar (2009) Directed by James Cameron [Feature Film] United Kingdom: 20th Century Fox

3.4Gambino, C. (2018) This is America. Childish Gambino

Introduction

There are many theories about the true purpose of art. One of the biggest topics for debate is the connection between politics and art, and whether it is possible or useful to have art that is nonpolitical, made simply to be aesthetic. The purpose of this dissertation is to expand my knowledge of the impact of aesthetic and political art, and highlight the importance of both The key points this dissertation will highlight are that aesthetic art has a positive impact on the viewers mental health, and political and social art highlights issues in the world in order for them to be improved. The final point of this dissertation looks beyond their separate impact and highlights the impact they can have when used together in one artwork, bringing political issues to the viewer in a more digestible form To prove these claims, the dissertation will be split into three chapters, the first focusing on nonpolitical artists who create aesthetic artwork, the second focusing on political artists, and the third focusing on artists that have both political and aesthetic intentions. I will discuss the impact of their works and their effectiveness.

The first chapter, titled Aesthetic Art will begin with artists of the Aesthetic Movement in Britain which spanned from the 1860s to the1900s. From this period I have chosen to focus on the wallpaper Willow Bough by William Morris (1887), paintings Kildonan by John Nairn (1886), Edinburgh from Craigleith Quarry by James Paterson (1898), and the furniture Side Table (1872) and Cabinet with Inset Tiles (1877) by Edward William Godwin. I will analyse the intention of their work and the impact it has on the viewers mental wellbeing To back these claims I have reviewed a range of studies proving the benefits of viewing artworks and nature, which includes studies by McMahan & Estes (2015), Calvin Dolatowski (2021), the Mental Health Foundation (2021) and Saundra Montijo (2021). I then reviewed research of personal claims by artists of the benefits of creating artwork, and for this I looked specifically at the Water Lilies series by painter Claude Monet (1917–1919).

The second chapter, titled Political Art will begin with Barbara Krugers works Untitled (Your Body is a Battleground) (1989) and Untitled (Just Be Yourself) (1999-

2000), and their influence on protests for women’s rights. I then looked at Krugers influence in inspiring the artist group Guerilla Girls and their work Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum? (1989), and its impact on major galleries including the Tate and the MoMA. After discussing political artists with impact on big groups and establishments, I looked at artists whose political work formed a connection with viewers individually, such as the works AIDS. (1988) and AIDS Sculpture. (1989/2021) by the group General Idea. Following this I chose two works by performance artist Marina Abromović to show political artists ability to show the best and worst of the world in their works, and political artists need for comforting works as well as political works. The first is Rhythm 0 (1974) which highlighted the terrible wrong in humanity, and the second is The Artist is present. (2010) which highlighted connection between people

The third chapter, titled Aesthetic and Political Art will begin with the film Princess Mononoke (1977) by Studio Ghibli, and an analysis of its effectiveness in promoting a good political message while also bringing aesthetic stress relief to the viewer. I will then compare Princess Mononoke with Walt Disney Studios Pocahontas (1995) and James Camerons Avatar (2009), and compare their political and social success

Following this I will analyse the effectiveness of music by artists J Cole in his songs 4 Your Eyez Only (2016) and Change (2016), and finally the song and music video of This is America (2018) by Childish Gambino I will discuss the ability music has, both in being enjoyable to listen to while also promoting important political messages.

My conclusion will summarise the most important points highlighted in this research and analysis and argue the importance of aesthetic and political art, both individually and combined. It will finally answer the question ‘Should Art be Aesthetic or Political?’

Aesthetic Art

The Oxford English Dictionary defines aesthetics as ‘connected with beauty and art and the understanding of beautiful things’ (Oxford University Press, 2023). For aesthetic artists, I have chosen to look at a range of artists and artforms who make work for the purpose of it being beautiful, and with no social or political intention within their work. While many would argue it is not possible for art to be nonpolitical, (Steakley, C. 2023) I have chosen artists who have never claimed to have political intentions, and who are not promoting any specific political message, but create works they and many viewers find aesthetic.

In Britain, a movement named ‘The Aesthetic Movement’ emerged between the 1860s and 1900s. The intention was to create ‘Art for Art’s Sake’ and add more beauty to the world after the ugliness of the Industrial revolution. Aesthetic painters wanted to stimulate the viewers senses to give them a feeling of immersion and restore the viewers connections to people and nature after industry had taken over.

Fig 1.1. Morris, W. (1887) Willow Bough [Wallpaper] Jeffrey & Co. London

to assume viewing nature through artworks would have a similar effect. This also shows the benefits of techniques such as plein air painting, as the artist immerses themselves in nature while creating work, transferring that feeling from the artist to the viewer.

There are further studies on the correlation between viewing artwork and reducing stress, as stated by writer Calvin Dolatowski, ‘A scientifically backed solution to stress is to view art. That’s why viewing and creating art have become a part of many types of mental health therapy. Viewing art, regardless of its provenance or its price tag, has been proven to decrease stress levels. In fact, viewing and creating art is one-way professionals reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.’ (2021).

Dolatowski’s research suggests that increasing the amount of artwork within homes and public spaces would be beneficial in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Some easy to integrate forms of artwork that succeed in this are pottery and rugs, which is why they are made and used so widely across so many cultures. The fact that beauty is reflected even in the mundane is an indicator that people enjoy having beauty in their homes and around them.

It is important to note there are some with no access to natural spaces for various reasons. As researched by the Mental Health Foundation (2021) groups that are at risk of physical harm, sexual harassment, hate crime or discrimination feel unsafe accessing green spaces, and those with physical disabilities or with little mobility may be unable to access green spaces. Art can make nature more accessible by bringing nature into homes and other spaces, providing a stronger connection to nature to those who cannot safely access it.

While the aesthetic movement showed the impact of aesthetic art on the viewer, there are also many benefits of aesthetic art on the artist. As stated by Saundra Montijo, ‘Research shows that engaging in creative activities can improve your overall mental health. From managing symptoms to developing a more positive outlook, the process of creating art gives those living with depression and other mental health conditions a way to express and process their emotions.’ (2021). As Montijo states, art is beneficial not only to the viewer but to the artist themselves.

Creating art provides an outlet for many emotions, it is a way to express feelings that cannot be expressed in words.

The benefit creating art has for the artist has been shown clearly through studies but is also shown by specific artists. Claude Monet is an artist who had discussed the benefit of creating work on his mental health. His most famous works are his collection of paintings titled Water Lilies (1897-1926), in which the artist made over 250 paintings of his water lily pond. In the artists own words, he was aiming to create ‘an asylum of peaceful meditation’ (Insights Success, 2023). While one intention for his work was to bring peace to the viewer, he also hoped to bring peace to himself. Monet struggled with his mental health for many years, and even attempted suicide at age 28 (Wildenstein, D. 2023). He used art as an escape from his struggles throughout his life During the period of time in which Monet painted his water lilies there were a number of terrible things happening in his life. His pond was flooded in 1910, his wife passed away in 1911 along with his son in 1914, and in 1912 he was diagnosed with cataracts which caused his eyesight to deteriorate. When WW1 began, most of his family and friends left Giverny, but Monet stayed saying that his paintings were helping distract him from the news of the war (Artsper, 2023). Creating art allowed Monet to spend time appreciating what he loves, which helped him cope with the challenges in his life. This shows the value of aesthetic art in a time such as World War I when the political climate was dire and people felt helpless. The importance of balance between political and aesthetic art was still vital for the artists mental health.

Political Art

For the purposes of this dissertation I have chosen a selection of artists who have created works fuelled by a desire for political or social change, and who have succeeded in bringing about change with their work. It was theorised by philosopher Johann Georg Sulzer that ‘The aim of the whole life of mankind is the welfare of social life. It is attained through education of the moral sense, and art should be subservient to this aim.’ (Tolstoy, L. 1995, p.17) Sulzer does not correlate art with aesthetics as he believes beauty has no importance when compared with moral and social improvement, which is one of the primary goals of political art.

Barbara Kruger is an American politically engaged artist who takes black and white photographs and overlays red and white text to point out the hypocrisy of media and politics. In the 1970’s Kruger showed painting and weaving work in galleries in New York but decided to quit art for a year in 1976 as she felt her work lacked meaning. (The Broad 2023). Having political and social intention was so important to Kruger she couldn’t make work without it.

So much of the female experience is adhering to the idea that we have to be beautiful to be worth something, which does also seem to be the case for a lot of artworks. Perhaps Kruger’s search for meaning is in itself a rebellion against society.

provoking him." (Brockes, E. 2014). In The artist is present, she sat silently in a chair facing a chair opposite, and viewers would come and sit across from her and make eye contact for as long as they wanted. The piece had mixed reactions, with some visitors crying, some laughing, and many claiming they felt they had only been sitting for 10 minutes when they had actually been sitting with her for 40 mins.

(Stigh, D. 2010) Many of the visitors left the exhibition feeling a closer connection to Abromović than before and felt they had benefitted from that connection. Abromović has proved in her work that when enabled people can be violent and cruel but given the option they can choose connection and love. Her work gives the viewer a deeper understanding of the human psyche, and how to bring out the best in people and the worst. Abromovic’s influence is not shown through the political world’s reaction, but by its impact on the individual viewer.

Political art has an undeniable impact and has been proven to help improve political and social issues. Political art raises awareness of issues and impacts the viewer personally, educating viewers of current issues and showing how they can be improved. Political art brings these issues into public spaces and ensures important issues don’t go unnoticed and ignored.

Aesthetic and Political Art

The benefits of political and aesthetic art separately are great, but can be even greater when combined. Philosopher Moses Mendelssohn believed that the definition of art is that which contains both beauty and a moral lesson; ‘Art… is a carrying of the beautiful, perceived by some vague sense, to the level of the true and good. And the aim of art is moral perfection.’ (Tolstoy, L. 1995, p.17) In Mendelssohn’s view, art must contain both beauty and morality to be defined as art. While not all believe art must be both, I have analysed artworks and artforms that have been successful or unsuccessful in achieving both.

One of the most successful artforms for combining aesthetics and politics is film, and one of the most effective filmmakers at conveying both is Studio Ghibli, founded by Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli is renowned for its ability to show the horrors of the world while also showing the moments of life that make it worth living. In the words of Miyazaki himself, ‘Even amidst the hatred and carnage, life is still worth living. It is possible for wonderful encounters and beautiful things to exist.’ (Miyazaki, H. date unknown). This message is shown throughout all of Miyazaki’s films, but in particular his film Princess Mononoke (1997). In the film, gods, animals, and humans coexist, but a conflict arises when the humans behead the forest spirit causing the destruction of the entire forest. Together, the protagonist and Princess Mononoke return the head to the spirit, and the forest is restored. The film ends with the two characters going separate ways, with Mononoke returning to the forest and the protagonist returning to the humans

the ship of colonisers leave. In Disney’s attempt to make the film more kid friendly, the studio erased much of the true story, and softened its harsher details in order to ease the viewer and studios guilt. As stated by S. J. Napier, ‘While Princess Mononoke insists on difference, the Disney film attempts to erase it.’ (2005, p. 247). While Disney succeeded in making the film more watchable for children and those related to colonisers, they did this at the expense of those related to the native tribes by undermining the atrocities they experienced. In the real-life story of Pocahontas, she was kidnapped and married off as a teenager to a much older British man, and was taken away from her home and her tribe to Britain. She was never able to visit her family again, and her family and tribe were later colonised. As summarised by writer Chris Bodenner, ‘Her culture was destroyed and her relatives murdered.’ (2015). Disney was less successful in promoting a political message as they undermined the story they were telling, and a cause of this is the lack of native people consulted during the making of the film. When looking at the list of directors and writers of the film, both directors are white American and the vast majority of writers are white American and Canadian. The film was made by and for relatives of the oppressors, and therefore silences and alienates those related to the oppressed. Had the team that made the film contained more input from those with a genuine understanding of Native American culture, it could have more accurately portrayed both perspectives.

A similar issue arises in James Camerons Avatar (2009). As stated by Cameron himself ‘Avatar is a science fiction retelling of the history of North and South America in the early colonial period . . . Europe equals Earth. The native Americans are the Na'vi. It's not meant to be subtle.’ (Woodson, A. 2023) The films have very similar storylines, but very different treatment of the colonisers. While Pocahontas sought to show an understanding of the colonisers and portray them as being the same on the inside, Avatar shows them as genuinely cruel and violent and punishes them, finishing the film by killing them off to protect the land.

must still be good quality and must be approached correctly. To do this it must made by an artist with a genuine understanding of the issue they’re looking to improve. Princess Mononoke is much more successful for this reason, as are artists from another artform, musicians J Cole and Childish Gambino.

Music is an incredible vessel for political messages because of its ability to connect words and emotion. Artist J Cole describes his hopes and struggles growing up as a black man in North Carolina trying to reach fame. He has a way of connecting with his listener because he hits emotions that are fundamentally human (Pillai, G. 2021). This could be because he is a member of an oppressed group – the root of bad political art is often an oppressor assuming that they understand the experiences of those who have been historically oppressed.

Cole uses his influence to talk about social and political issues, showing he is in the industry for the right reasons. He recognises musicians’ ability to reach a wide audience and inspire positive change, and makes music that is both enjoyable to listen to and containing an important deeper message.

In his song 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), he states,

‘Took me two felonies to see the trap

This crooked-ass system set for me

And now I fear it's too late for me to ever be

The one that set examples that was never set for me’.

‘I dedicate these words to you and all the other children

Affected by the mass incarceration in this nation

That sent your pops to prison when he needed education’.

He highlights the issues in Black America within education and violence to help raise awareness of them and show the viewer that there are systems in place designed to keep black communities in prisons. He shows that even as someone who was a victim of this system, he has gained awareness of the issue and is trying to be an example for his viewers and show them there is a way to break out of the

system, while showing he understands the difficulty to succeed in a world that is pushing against you. He is an artist that has had a tough life and faced a lot of hardships, but he uses this experience to advise his listeners to try and prevent them from making the same mistakes.

While Cole talks about the deep-rooted racial issues in the social system, he also discusses the importance of self-reflection and self-improvement. In his song Change (2016), he states,

‘I know you desperate for a change at the pen glide, But the only real change come from inside.’

He tells the viewer that he understands the issues of the social system but while improving the system it is important to also try and improve the self, choosing understanding and empathy over judgement and ignorance (Songtell, 2023). He simultaneously calls for the broken system to be improved, and for the people suffering within it to look within themselves and see how they can improve

Another musician whose work calls out the issues within the treatment of black people in America is Childish Gambino. In his song This is America (2018) he addresses many issues, most of which are highlighted in the music video. During the video Gambino and a group of children in uniforms dance and smile while murder and violence occurs behind them. One interpretation of this is that the dancers are there to distract viewers in the way that black art is used to distract from the deep issues in America concerning black people and the violence black communities face, from within and from police brutality and racism (Gajanan, M. 2018).

Rap/Sung Performance, Best Music Video, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. It was the first time a rap song had ever won the last two categories (Aron A. 2023).

White people in America will live an entire life never facing racism, while black children are forced to learn about the dangers of America towards black people and expected to continue to live with extra barriers and burdens. Black people are exposed to so much more terror and injustice, and yet are expected to absorb the danger and still be happy. By raising awareness of these issues and educating their listeners on them J Cole and Gambino are helping dismantle these systems by inspiring positive change and awareness in their listeners.

To create a positive change it is important to find a balance between improving the wider world and improving the self. It is important to focus on what is good and enjoyable while discussing topics that are incredibly heavy and demoralising. By keeping peoples spirits high while teaching them about social and political injustice, you are ensuring they have the energy and motivation to fight to improve without being drained of hope. For this reason I believe that artwork that is simultaneously aesthetic and political is vital for improvement of the self and the wider world.

Conclusion

The purpose of this dissertation was to highlight the impact and importance of both aesthetic and political art.

Aesthetic arts importance is shown clearly through its impact on mental health and wellbeing. There are a multitude of studies showing the benefits of being surrounded by artwork, and the research showing the benefits of being surrounded by nature form a natural assumption that being surrounded by artworks showing nature would provide a similar effect. It is even beneficial to the artist themselves, as stated by one of the most well-known artists, Claude Monet. After seeing this research, the question forms; how can this information be used? Real life examples of this research being implemented are shown through organisations like the British Association of Art Therapists, and their use of this research to bring artworks and the joy of creating into mental health hospitals. This is just one of many examples of this research being implemented to make positive change.

The importance of political art is clearly shown through its results, such as the Guerilla Girls forcing the MoMA to improve its gender equality within the artworks it shows. While the issue began returning after a few years, this only highlights even further the importance of political art. After the piece was made it forced the issue into the public eye which caused they change they had been asking for. It is when the issue fell out of the public eye that it gradually grew worse as it was not being challenged. The solution is to keep making political art and keep these issues talked about and challenged, as the success and impact of political art has been proven. However the constant viewing of these disheartening statistics can be difficult for both the viewer and the artist, as is shown by Abromović as after creating her most devastating piece, she felt she needed to make an artwork focusing on connection. This need for connection highlights the importance of stress relief alongside the importance of politics, and proves the need for both.

There are many benefits that come from combining political and aesthetic art, but also many issues. A quote from the Otolith Group live talk states ‘The political side

of this could be forgotten because of the aesthetics.’ (2023). It is possible to create work that is aesthetic and political, but it must be well researched to be effective in both, as many of the artworks I have discussed were beautiful aesthetically but lacked quality in their politics. An issue arises when aesthetic artists add politics to their work without properly researching the issue or collaborating with those who do genuinely understand the issue, such as in Avatar and Pocahontas However when work is made that is good quality and well researched, it can have an incredible impact. At its release Princess Mononoke broke Japan’s record for highest earning film in its opening week, a record which was later broken by another film by Studio Ghibli, Spirited Away (2003) These figures show that many people resonated with the film Mononoke, and the growth of their studio ensured their important messages were seen by many The impact of the music of Childish Gambino is shown by him winning 4 Grammys, and winning two of them with rap music, a genre which had never won before. He brought political and social issues into the public eye and forced them to be acknowledged, and caused an institute like the Grammy Awards to recognise the importance of a genre and message they had previously ignored.

In summary, both aesthetic and political art are important, but for different reasons. Aesthetic art is beneficial for the self, and political art is beneficial for the wider world. When separate, they can achieve impressive results. When combined, if done properly, the results can be even more incredible. To answer the question, ‘Should Art be Aesthetic or Political?’ I would say that the answer is both. Both are vital for different reasons, but instead of choosing one or the other, the importance and function of both should be understood to allow them to be used most effectively. Then by understanding their individual use and importance, they can be used in combination with each other. By using both at once, you can achieve both positive impacts they produce, so my conclusion is that aesthetic and political art are most effective when used together.

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