Examining Art as a Vehicle for Social Conscience
Mrs. Frayne
“[T]he use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic
objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with
others” ~ Britannica Online
“To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced
. . . then, by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,
or forms expressed in words . . . transmit that feeling that
others may experience the same feeling
- this is the activity of art.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
Form is concrete and means:
1. elements of art (line, shape, colour // metaphor, rhyme . . .)
2. principles of design
3. physical materials
(balance, pattern //irony, tone . . .)
Content is idea-based and means:
1. what the artist meant to portray,
2. what the artist actually did portray and
3. how we react, as individuals, to both the intended and actual
messages.
•
Additionally, “content” includes ways in which a work was influenced – by
religion, or politics, or society in general at the time it was created.
(Esaak)
Art serves as a vehicle for the
social conscience.
It responds to and reflects on
society’s values and issues.
Art can:
◦ bring awareness to people
◦ present truths about humankind that cannot
be expressed any other way
◦ connect people in a society by presenting an
idea that everyone can relate to in a universal
way
(“Art”)
So too, photographs capturing nature’s wonders may
remind us of how precious our environment is.
Christianity and the Catholic Church was strongly
reflected in the art of the Italian Renaissance.

painted in response to the bombing of
Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

The painting “shows the tragedies of war and
the suffering it inflicts upon individuals,
particularly innocent civilians” and has
become “a perpetual reminder of the tragedies
of war, an anti-war symbol, and an
embodiment of peace” (“Guernica”).
“Warhol[’s work] is
now understood to
represent the
modern era of
commercialization
and indiscriminate
‘sameness’”
(“Campbell's”)
Lyrical dance combines elements of
ballet and jazz and focuses on self
expression and presenting emotion.
Rooted in the early 20th
century Freudian theories
which focused on the
unconscious mind and self
awareness.
“Hip hop dance corresponds to
body movements, which harmonize
with the beat and rhythm of music.
In this dance style, you can find
lots of breaking, popping, locking
and free styling, while its
movements indulge jumps,
breakages, and rotations”
(“HipHop”)
Reflects the fast
paced nature of
the last number
of decades.
Can the written word
capture and achieve
what other artists can
through their images?
"Literature, though it may also
be many other things, is social
evidence and testimony."
(Lewis Coser—American Sociologist)
Shakespeare’s definition
of what drama and writing is for . . .
Modern translation from Hamlet:
“the purpose of acting . . . was
and is, to hold, as it were, the
mirror up to nature, to show
truth in reality, scorn her
falseness, and to record
the shape and movement of the
times we live in.” (III.ii)
“In 1776 during the
Revolutionary Period . . .
Paine[‘s] work was full of
desire for separation from
England which was a
growing demand of the
time. The Declaration of
Independence was inspired
by this work” (“The Impact”).
“The book showed
the people of the
North the brutality of
slavery and [some
may argue] aided in
the Abolitionist
Movement” (“Art”).
The following passage from the novel
reveals emerging feminist views of the
time:
"Woman are supposed to be very calm,
generally; but women feel just as men feel;
they need exercises for their faculties, and a
field for their efforts - they suffer from too
rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation it is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh
at them if they seek to do more or learn
more than custom has pronounced
necessary for them."
Hosseini is an AfghaniAmerican whose novel aims
to bring awareness to the
plight of women in
Afghanistan.
Relevance to our
current times?
Does Music reveal social conscience too?

“. . . music tends to be a reflection of society and its
values and occurances [sic]. Rock and Roll of the 50's is a
good example of this phenomenon as is the music of the
90's which is reflective of the increasingly violent and
frustrating environment we live in. Likewise, music of the
60's reflected the turbulent period during which the
Vietnam war, drugs, the sexual revolution and other social
issues were uppermost in people's minds. Classical (or
"serious") music has also shown that same reflection of the
times. One need only look to the turn of the 20th century
and its then radical musical influences to see a clear
demonstration of this theory” (Reublin).
Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we
can speak honestly.
What do you feel when you see all the
homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you
go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the
mirror?
Are you proud?
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no
chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held
high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?
Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs
took them away
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh
What kind of father would take his own
daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his
own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has
to say
How do you sleep at night?
You've come a long way from whiskey and
How do you walk with your head held
cocaine.
high?
Dear Mr. President,
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
You'd never take a walk with me.
How do you dream when a mother has no
Would you?
chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held
high?
Can you even look me in the eye?
The SOCIAL CONSCIENCE of
Today’s Popular Music
YOUR turn to analyse . . .
What issues and/or values are presented inthe
songs you brought in?
What, consequently, do the songs reveal about our
current society?

"Art In Society." Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More.
Web. 11 Feb. 2011.
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"Campbell's Soup Cans." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.

Esaak, Shelley. "What Is Art - The Basic Meaning of Art Explained."
About.com - Art History. Web. 12 Feb. 2011.

"Guernica (painting)." Wikipedia. Web. 11 Feb. 2011

"Hip Hop Dancing - History & Origin of Hip Hop Dance." Lifestyle Lounge –
Online Lifestyle Magazine -. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.

"The Impact of Literature on American History Summary" BookRags. 20002006. Web. 12 Feb. 2011

Reublin, Rick. "The Dead Zone of American Popular Music." In Search of
American Popular Song. Jan. 2000. Web. 13 Feb. 2011.