AEP Topic Response

Artists have a social responsibility to uphold.

I agree that artists have a social responsibility to uphold, however, to a certain extent.
Firstly, I agree that artists have a social responsibility to uphold as artworks displayed in or for the public are usually restricted to a certain extent whereby sensitive issues like racial and political issues are usually not shown in public as the general public might not be comfortable with it or it might cause conflict within the general public. Thus, artists who display public works would have a social responsibility to uphold as they cannot display works that are too harsh on people, hurt people or cause conflicts within people.
Also, if the artists are commissioned to do a piece of artwork, there are many limitations as to what is being presented to the public through the work. The commissioner (eg. companies, government) would set a theme for the artists and check the artwork before displaying it in the public.

Lastly, artworks are used to convey the artist’s intentions, meanings and it would influence the viewers. For example, Lucia Hartini’s Sri Kandi. The painting was used to express Hartini’s inner emotions and struggles in her culturally traditional environment in Indonesia that had gender norms, where women are culturally regarded as ‘subordinate’ to men. Hartini painted herself as Sri Kandi, a women warrior. She expressed how she overcame her fears and also showed her courage to overcome the views of others. Also, she made use of allegorical and symbol-laden styles to carry her personal message to viewers.Therefore, we can see how a piece of artwork can influence a viewer and how a viewer can interpret from the artwork. Thus, an artist have a social responsibility to uphold as artworks viewed in public is a direct way of communicating the artist’s idea or expression to the public audience.

However, I do not agree that artists have a social responsibility to uphold as well. Art can be personal and free. It can be up to the artist to decide what he/she wants to present and express in the form of art. It will also be up to the viewers to interpret the artwork. Particularly in art galleries, viewers have a responsibility to choose what kind of art they would want to see. Art is a free expression and no one should be limited to what they want and can express, especially in an exhibition as viewers are the one who decide if they want to see a particular kind or artwork. Artists have the right to express whatever ideas they have without a social responsibility if the artworks are not placed in public where everyone can view easily.

In conclusion, I feel that there’s a difference between the kinds of artworks that artists make and create, and where the works are displayed; whereby personal artworks can be more “wild” and artists who create personal works displayed in galleries does not necessarily uphold social responsibilities while artists who create and display public works must uphold a social responsibility as any viewer can be easily affected and influenced by many pairs of eyes from the public.