Give up the task of reforming society is to give up one’s responsibility as a free man.”

“There are always those who think they know what is your responsibility better than you do.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82),

American writer, philosopher, poet, essayist

Hey, Artist with a capital “A,” for activist, antagonist, arbiter, and, above all, asset. How much should you be responsible for creating work for the promotion of a greater social whole? Furthermore, is it an art school’s responsibility to provide its artists with the skills to be socially responsible? To what extent should art express an artist’s social and political concern?

In response to the question(s) regarding the responsibility of artists and their art... ARTISTS SHOULD NEVER BE TOLD, BY ANYONE OR ANY INSTITUTION (SAIC), WHAT THEY “SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.” Every art student has a mind of his/her own, and it is not the institution’s (or instructor’s) place to tell students what they should or should not be communicating through their art. Every person has a unique opinion on what constitutes social/political responsibility... So who should decide which opinions are right and which are wrong? The answer is , not “the art school.”

Believe it or not, SAIC students are able to think for themselves.    

Thank you and have a good day.

— Anonymous

The manner in which an individual deals with politics is a choice that each person has to deal with themselves. Responsibility for these issues is not something that anyone else can decide for artists, or citizens alike.  As an artist, I am weary of the pressure to create under these circumstances.  

Whatever happened to appreciating different free-flowing thought processes, those that come in any shape and form?  I do believe it is an art school’s responisbility to be aware of its student’s desires to learn, however, I find an art school that upholds a limiting philosophy that of which is educationally unbalanced, to be highly irresponsible. The day when someone, an entire art school in this case, tries to control what I make, how I make it, and demands how socially/politically “aware” it should be, will be a very sad day.

Unfortunately, I think this has already begun to happen at our art school.

— Whitney Hetrick  

Artists have no obligations whatsoever. It’s been through an irreverence of imposed societal expectations that interesting art has been made.  What seems to matter is keeping things interesting, not necessarily respectful, because the idea of proper conduct or responsibility is exactly what needs to be reexamined, or even collapsed.  What if Duchamp was so respectful of the establishment that he left his urinal at home?  

— Juozas Cernius

I do not believe it is up to the art school or the artist to create social awareness. I definitely stress that statement. By social awareness, I mean activism. There is a distinct difference between activism and social awareness; unfortunately at SAIC, these terms get thrown into the same definition, due to all of the activism that goes on at this school. Of course most people in their right mind are socially aware; it is common sense. Although, not everyone is an activist. At SAIC, it seems that those who do not participate in “activism” are looked down upon. I see that as a major problem.

Being socially aware or an activist should be up to the artist. If someone makes art for themselves or other people to enjoy, that is fine with me. It is not a requirement that art “must make a social statement.” At SAIC that quote seems to be the norm, and it really irritates me. It is not up to the school to force activism and political issues like raining fire and brimstone upon us. Seeing a flyer in the hallway about this issue or that issue just turns into politcal rethoric for me. Due to that, my artistic stance is about as far from a “political” issue as possible.

People need to stop whining about the “right-winged persecution and oppression” going on in Washington D.C., and actually develope some skill with their artmaking.

Sincerely,
Paul Serrianne 21, Junior at SAIC

I find art that engages social and political issues to be truly inspiring.

I find this to be most true when I see these issues through a personal voice, as opposed to an inventory of agreeing voices. Ironically, I find what most people call “political art” to be very culturally stagnant, self-glorifying, and academic.

— Chris Sullivan FVNM.

I think one and the most important responsibility for artists is to make good art. Good art triggers you to (re)think, and gives you a kind of transformational experience; you learn something from reading it, but it doesn’t mean that the art lectures you in a didactic way.

— Arthur Lam, MFA

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