Yielding's’ Art - Refracting propaganda.

We find ourselves caught in a battle of ideas, memes, art, and media; in essence modern propaganda.

In this, to not attack, is not the same as to surrender. Your opponents weapons can become a tool to highlight their flaws. Stripped of lies rust the sword becomes truths mirror, side stepping the knife in the dark reveals the truth of others hate.

Henry Ossawa Tanners work ‘The banjo lesson’ demonstrates this “cleaning of lies rust” beautifully. Created in 1893, a time when grotesque caricatures derided and sort to define the lives of black people, this work gave answer to the “minstrel” image foisted upon many.

Not through a display of justified rage, there is no rejection of musicality or imagery of smashed instruments dominating the page. No, he portrayed undeniable truth.

The truth of learning, the truth of the home, the commonality of generational care that crosses culture and country. He did not give humanities opponents oxygen for their fire, he did not sit at a chess board with pigeons, he simply said here is the truth of it, here is the humanity you hide behind caricature and callousness, the beauty you obliterate, the innocence you deride with your mockery and dehumanisation.

Here is a child learning art, with warmth and love. Who now could be so callous, so hateful, as to attack such a truth.

‘The banjo lesson’ - Henry Ossawa Tanners (1893)

If you find there are those who simply seek to strike down an artwork, rather than let it refract lie to truth, then let them swing full force. Their momentum will carry a blow against their own cause, only amplifying that which they wish to destroy.

We see this with several sculptures by Ernst Barlach. These were commissioned or created in the wake of World War One. Memorialising the dead and devastated, these works focused on humanistic ideals.

Portraying figures in an expressionist style, grieving angels were dressed in gaunt emotion rather than glorified violence. They held a notable anti war sentiment, displaying both the weight of the dead, and celebrating the notion of victory without violence.

It was these notions of peace, and communication of of wars consequence, that drew the ire of the National Socialist party. Throughout this period The Party tore down and destroyed vast swathes of work deemed “Degenerate”, whole movements were effectively banned.

In doing so they laid plain their fear, their hate, their callousness.

For only the hateful, fear filled and callous could look upon a mourning angel and see a threat. In doing so they solidified the views and actions of many creators against them.

In a beautiful irony their attempted destruction saw greater care and visibility given to Barlachs’ work. Post war original moulds were tracked down to recast work lost, with one piece (Der Geistkämpfer) even being saved mid destruction, chopped up but unmelted, the bronze statue was repaired and restored.

In an attempt to destroy the truth, the National Socialists just laid it out all the clearer, they made it obvious they would destroy peace in pursuit of power, their actions both literal and allegorical.

Let them swing so the world can see their truth.