Paint the mob - The Art of protest.
- celestial body
- Jun 17
- 1 min read
The art of protest is not one of noise, nor untethered disruption.
It is a crucible and a refraction. It redirects energy, it ignites and transforms what is already there. It is empathies truth, clashing with the callous logic of power.
To the outsider, one mob is much alike another. It is through the banners, the flags, the poetry of slogan, and the performance of self painted upon placards, that the meaning of protest emerges. An image of a crowd can be reframed, clearly communicated intent can not.
The art of protest is accessible. Any one can turn a phrase, repeat an icon, paint a piece of card, in that there is power. We may not have the same base power that kings and presidents excise. Yet people celebrate the flower that grows from the concrete slab, more than the concrete around it, despite the slabs evident permeance and "strength" by comparison.
It is in this accessibility and this contrast, that a movements ideals take root and spread.
The artworks of protest should speak of truth, even if that truth has been thoroughly obscured by the machinations of others, strong art will always reveal it.
The marketing of control and power is a poor imitation for the emotion and empathy triggered by even a simple can of spray paint and a bit of wit.
Comments