Stepped on, Step up, and a step too far - The challenge in the art.

Broadly speaking I don't look for controversy for controversy's sake. Shock value for shock alone is a jump-scare in a horror movie, it may capture someone in the fractional moment, but more often than not it doesn't leave the lasting impact you hope for, it usually doesnt communicate the depth and nuance of a feeling or idea.

You need to marry the shock with context, with intent outside of shock itself, how and why are you bringing people to this place of vulnerability? Is it to make them revaluate their perspective on an issue, to introduce them to something new? Perhaps to remind them of their complacency in the subject that delivered the shock?

In essence are you just showing them images of gore because its upsetting, or because that gore is something they need to see to understand their part in its creation. Do you merely paint Saville, or do you add him to a deck of cards in mockery of the nations pursuit of foreign terrorists whilst failing to catch predators at home?

Are you saying something, or just screaming in someone's ear when they aren't expecting it?

Please don't misunderstand me here, shock is incredibly valuable in art, it is a sign we have fundamentally challenged something in another's perspective. But if you want to win that challenge, in this contemporary age, I feel as though you need more than nudity, faeces, and obscenity alone. (Sorry Pink flamingos, the 70s needed you, and im sure your time will come again). You need to shock people with a truth they didnt know they were denying, you need to challenge them to think about things they thought their mind was made up on, present them with feelings they have to find the source of, lead them to a conclusion they vehemently oppose.

A strong example of this shock, this challenge which benefits us is 'What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?' (shown below) by Dread Scott. It consists of a flag on the ground, a photomontage of the flag being draped on the coffins of veterans, and burnt by South Korean students. Below this photo and over the flag is a ledge with a book in which viewers are welcome to write their reaction, they just have to step on the flag to do so.

This artwork sparked vitriol, and more importantly genuine thought thought its shock. Now I could write up a conclusion here that ties in some final thoughts and explains a little further the way and the impact this artwork delivered, but the notes people left at the time in that book do a far better job than I ever could.

Those notes ran the gamut from "You're f'd minorities get everything" and "go back to the foreign country where you belong".

Through to nuanced context from outside perspective; "I am a German girl. If we Germans would admire our flag as you all do, we would be called Nazis again.…I think you do have too much trouble about this flag,"

And on to the most poignant note of self reflection with which we'll conclude:

"There are many questions you have raised. For that I thank you. It does hurt me to see the flag on the ground being stepped on. Yet now after days have passed, I have realized that this is the ultimate form of patriotism."