Art as a
Political
Movement
Art is shaped by its artist’s environment and experiences, but it has always long been debated where art falls. Is it apolitical or merely for pleasure? A great majority try to find peace through art. However, the sole reason for trying to find peace in the world we live in says a lot about why we seek serenity in art.
Henri Matisse famously said that he dreamed of an art "devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter ... a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair." His close friend Picasso, who more frequently indulged in the darker sides of human emotion, was also not very political.
Charles Gwynneth, a local artist known for her political stance on the internet produces comics and illustrations on social media. The contents from the Facebook page “Tidbits Choi” are witty, funny, and politically inclined.
a screenshot from visiting the artist's Facebook page
Tidbits Choi said, “I started drawing ever since I could remember”. Tidbits Choi looks up to Loish, Ilya, and sakimichan, which are also amazing artists.
“Art will always remain relevant to society simply because art is everywhere. It is the basis of human nature.” Not everyone inevitably consumes art, from visuals like billboards, grocery product packaging to music and advertisements. Art is truly everywhere, and it is something that society should value more.
On art being political, Tidbits Choi said, “Yes! Art could be political even when the artist did not intend it to be political in the first place because interpretations vary from one person to another. In addition, art goes way back in which it took part in revolutionary movements that shaped the world that is today.”
“I usually just go and pick the topic that gives spark into my interest or that could be impactful not just to me, but also to anybody else.” This is something that every artist or creator should think about before putting their content out there whether online or offline.
Budding artists may not all have a following like Tidbits Choi, but we still are always able to influence some audience and we need to be mindful of what we want to put out there. “The responsibility had sunk in when some people started mocking or getting affected aggressively by my comics. Truthfully, I usually do not like hurting someone emotionally but if it is the truth that I initially planned to spread out, then I would not mind anymore.”, Tidbits Choi stated when asked about how she realized the social responsibility she had with the content she was putting out.
People seek peace and clarity through art because of what they experience. Artists create art not to escape reality, but to cope through it and assess the experiences we got through. Topics such as politics cannot be avoided as it affects almost every aspect of people’s lives, and as it happens, art will continue to comment.
Tidbits Choi’s advice for young local artists regarding the social responsibility of being an artist, “Never stop making art, no matter how exaggerated or honest the message would be, as long as you won't hurt the innocent. Art will always be a journey, and with that, it may mean hardships, failures, and worst-case scenarios: regrets. But as human beings, it won't hurt to keep going to finally evolve into someone we have always desired to be”.