Political art?

The importance of politics art has always been interesting to me. Especially in the context of longetivity in it's message. To be honest when politics and art are combined in my head the first thing to come to mind is New Yorker political cartoons. But upon trying to research those, it became obvious that most of not all art is somewhat political. However, with political art that isn't cartoons, the message they represent is not as clear. With cartoons you are given a scene, a larger than life or simplified version of real life in that moment with obvious opinionated statements being pushed. Fine art examples of political work are harder to read on first sight. A lot are formed through processes constructed by current events. The clearest political works of the past are paintings that stylize each side with different colors and techniques. But jumping ahead to right now, most strongly recognizable political work is more on the commercial side. The most successful in current memory would be Shepard Fairey's Obama poster. It has been credited with helping Obama win along with other design elements that were strong throughout his campaign. His personalized font designed by Sasha Waters/ Frere-Jones was also credited with his strong win. The font, based on handmade signs of old New York represented something classic and familiar with an element of revision and newness. Fairly's poster has been compared to Che guavara's representation through design. But that brings up the question of longevity. Che Guavara's aesthetic has been repurposed as a sign of revolution or general anarchy. Far from what it's original intention was. I suppose that is the main difference between a piece of art and a piece of design art. The design aspect can be so strong that it separates jtself from the piece of work and speaks for itself. Although, it's interpretation is still reliant on our memory of the event. To appropriate political design works on the fragments of memory we have of that political moment. It becomes free from specific events but it stuck in a certain time. And the further we get from its creation the more simplistic its message becomes. The hope and change of the Obama administration can be copied and pasted to any sort of event. And the more it is reappropriated the less original meaning it has. Thinking of work in this context gives me a clearer insight into what truly makes something timeless. It's not the lack of expression and personal details that makes something timeless and readable , but how you use those to fully explain the detail at that moment with as much context as possible. Also, how aesthetics can be purged from one thing and reappropriated to another. It makes clear the extent to which references are important and how those impressions hold up over time. Without the marriage of content and design, political art is torn apart and recycled over and over. Much like our politics. It makes me interested to explore other countries relationship with political art in both realms, the commercial and the artistic side. Also, were they intersect and how they are perceived by someone out of context.

*copy and paste issue, noticed in class only part of the blog was published.