Art is something that I felt was there for pure self-expression and entertainment. I really never looked at art as something that could be used to critique societies customs and traditions. However, reading and watching various pieces of art throughout this semester (so far) has made me realize art can be used for something meaningful and important.
I think the piece of art that has affected me most was the piece by Andy Warhol where he takes a bunch of pictures of celebrities and showcase their lifestyle. I feel affected by this the most because I believe strongly that our society is too influenced by media in all forms. Therefore, I think its important for at least one person to show and reveal how celebrities live and that they are just normal people like the rest of us. Additionally, kids, teens, and even some adults practically worship these people that come on television and movies and are influenced by their actions as well. Many people don’t stop and research issues on their own but instead believe what they are told on television, radio, etc because that is their only source of information. I think that this is especially true in today’s world and is also kind of sad. We should all be responsible enough to find out and research various issues by our own means and shouldn’t rely on someone else’s opinion.
Andy Warhol does a great job in portraying the lifestyle of all these celebrities and the essence of their lives. As soon as I walked in the room I felt like I was there with Warhol, meeting all those people. It was nice to observe and even be apart of. An artist as a social critic is a very important role that I believe should be part of some piece of all artists. This piece that portrayed the glamorous life of a celebrity showed a good side but also critiqued it in its own way. All the celebrities together were overwhelming to look at and this illustrated the pressures that this sort of life can have. This pressure is portrayed in Warhol’s other pieces also but this particular work shows the cause of it.
It’s important for us to be aware of our surroundings and know what is going on. Many times something may look good but isn’t or vice versa. It is everyone’s responsibility to know what’s happening and find the resources that will allow him or her to know this information. Warhol does a great job in portraying a lifestyle that we all want to achieve and bring this idea back to earth. Looking at his piece and others I realized art doesn’t just have to be present for entertainment like I previously thought. Art as a form of social critique is present everywhere if you look and this is has been and will be an important aspect of society. I think that Warhol’s message in this piece is a strong one and deserves some credit. =)
