Recently, actor Timothee Chalamet faced huge backlash for comments saying that no one cares about ballet or opera anymore. Following his statements, major figures in the world of art and entertainment, including director Steven Spielberg, Oscar’s host and comedian Conan O’Brien and even Misty Copeland, one of the most famous ballerinas of all time, called Chalamet out for his comments. Yet, the sentiment shared by Chalamet says a lot about how we as a society have come to view art and value its importance. In the present age of rising anti-intellectualism, where the immediacy of the internet and inundation of constant entertainment has lessened society’s appreciation for art, it should come as no surprise that many people no longer consider the arts an important part of the human experience.
Just as many people claim “they don’t care about art,” many also claim that they simply “don’t do politics.” Yet, it is perhaps the existence of art and politics that has defined humanity for as long as the history books can recall. We’ve been creating art to express ourselves since the dawn of time, just as politics have existed since the very first groups of human beings walked the earth. If anything, it is the intersection of these two fundamental aspects of humanity that illustrates the sheer importance of art in our society.
In the vernacular of many, the word politics is typically conflated with happenings in government, or the struggle between different parties and ideologies for votes and support. It has quite a negative connotation too, with many people finding frustration and anger in the subject matter that political discussions bring up. The term politics was first introduced by Aristotle’s philosophical work, Politiká (meaning affairs of the cities), which was originally derived from the Greek word polis (meaning city-state). Simply defined though, politics is the process of making decisions in groups, defining roles and managing power. It affects all aspects of life and how we as humans function in a society, and it couldn’t be more important in the world as we know it.
In another of Aristotle’s well-known writings, Nicomachean Ethics, he posits that the highest purpose of politics is to achieve the highest human good, engaging with life and cultivating one’s character. Is that not what art allows us to do? In fact, Aristotle views politics as the highest art, focused on directing the community as a whole. Furthermore, he explains that all art is focused on some good, calling it a dynamis, or a certain ability or capacity for something. As an expression and extension of the artist themselves, art thus contains inherent messaging, solidifying its political nature.
From the earliest human civilizations to the present day, art has been used to serve various agendas, functioning as a powerful tool for propaganda, commentary and activism. From the celebrations of great military victories to dignified rulers, art has been used to deify and memorialize the great successes of civilizations dating back to Roman times. When considering more contemporary examples, art was used as a powerful tool to protest both the Vietnam and Cold Wars that America found itself embroiled in. In both of these examples, art was used to send a certain message and tell the world something about the artist or society who created it. The reflection of complex thoughts attitudes, and structures help illustrate the basic fact that all art carries ideological weight of some kind. This is why so many historians and scholars of the past look for art from various time periods in order to derive information and meaning about the people who lived then, and what the sentiments and attitudes expressed in the art from each period said about society as a whole back then. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a well-crafted piece of art may as well be worth a thousand more.
Every facet of art is political, as the very nature of art is meant to be a medium of expression. While some pieces may not make overt motions through their subject matter, other pieces serve as powerful tools for shaping public opinion, spreading awareness or shedding light on social issues. Art can potentially be used as propaganda, but it can also be used to amplify the voices of the oppressed and function as a tool of resistance and dissent. Art is a way for us as humans to voice our thoughts and opinions, either upholding or breaking down systems through the intrinsic messages and ideals within a piece.
Since art is created within and shaped by the society in which we live, along with its various nuances, power structures, ideologies and contexts, it must therefore be political in nature. Even art that presumes to say nothing still makes a statement in doing so, as no piece of art is devoid of subjective interpretation. Art that claims to be apolitical illustrates what a culture considers safe, acceptable and worth celebrating, something which is inherently political. Not only does the context in which art is created imbue it with political nuance, but the existence of systemic barriers to obtaining the education and resources to create art as well as to view art firsthand in museums and galleries has also rendered art as something inherently political. Having the time and resources to be able to visit a museum is a privilege not afforded to all, which creates further boundaries to access and education, exacerbating the already political nature of art. The recognition of art as worthy of being displayed in a museum is also politically motivated, since a large majority of the artists whose works are heavily displayed in museums around the world tend to be white men.
For marginalized groups who have often lacked the ability to create freely, expressing themselves through their art can be a powerful act of political rebellion and serve as emotional catharsis for the various struggles that simply cannot be articulated through words or understood in a simple manner. In his impactful lecture entitled “Criteria of Negro Art,” African American activist, writer and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois insisted that all relevant art should be propaganda, bringing to light not only the political nature of art itself, but also how barriers to creating and viewing art exacerbate the inherently political sphere in which art exists. Du Bois speaks of several artists of color denied the same opportunities as white artists, especially in attending schools of art. He then explains why it is so important that black artists create art, for the tools of Truth and Goodness applied by artists allow them to create a universal understanding and human interest through art.
Though many think of art merely as the physical works that can be encountered in museums, art encompasses so much more. Fashion, music and film are all vitally important works of art that many encounter on a daily basis. However, some individuals may take these art forms’ capacity for political messaging by and large for granted. Yet these forms perhaps have the greatest potential to capitalize on their political nature because of their position at the forefront of discussion within popular society and their prevalence in the everyday lives of so many.
In terms of fashion, the clothes we wear send a message. Style is representative of so many things in life – status, religion, passion, social class and more. Our clothes tell a story before we have the chance to even open our mouths and speak. Clothing as a form of protest has existed for ages. Notable examples can be seen in instances such as the landmark Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, where students were arrested for wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War (the Supreme Court later upheld their actions as constitutionally protected under the 1st Amendment as an extension of free speech), as well as the fight for women to be able to wear pants, something that wasn’t socially acceptable until the mid-1960s. Nowadays, examples such as the “Protect the Dolls” t-shirts worn by Pedro Pascal and Troye Sivan to support and affirm the trans community, the “I can’t breathe” shirts worn by NBA players to protest against police brutality following the death of Eric Garner, and the “Artists4Ceasefire” red pins worn by Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo and more at the 2024 Oscars to call for a ceasefire in Gaza can be seen as examples of how fashion can serve as a powerful political statement. The discussion of the political nature of fashion extends to gender and sexual freedoms too, as women around the world still face restrictions on the clothing they are able to wear on a daily basis.
Music too has long been a way for artists to voice their thoughts on the world. Used as a tool of protest for thousands of years, many songs tackle heavy themes and global concepts in their lyrics, taking a stance on political issues and pushing back against repression. In this way, music serves as a powerful tool to incite revolution, raise awareness and drive meaningful change. In looking at a few notable examples below, the ability for music to act as a powerful political tool can be clearly seen and understood.
- “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival is an anti-war protest song that criticizes how the wealthy, connected “fortunate sons” were able to dodge the draft while regular working class men were forced to fight in the Vietnam War. It expresses a certain resentment towards the elites who supported the war without getting involved firsthand or fighting in them.
- “Masters of War” by Bob Dylan is one of the most forthright anti-war protest songs, directly calling out generals, presidents and other people in power for committing atrocities of war and spilling unnecessary blood. Like “Fortunate Son”, Dylan targets men in power in his song, saying they “hide behind desks” while others fight their wars.
- “This is America” by Childish Gambino critiques American culture, discussing the normalization of gun violence and mass shootings in the United States as well as the ongoing issues of systemic racism and racial violence.
- “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young was written by Neil Young in response to the 1970 Kent State shootings, where Ohio National Guard soldiers killed 4 students during a Vietnam War protest. The song directly challenged the Nixon administration and governmental violence, and quickly became a defining anthem of the counterculture in America at the time.
- “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke served as a prominent anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, with lyrics that express a longing for racial equality while acknowledging the ongoing struggles against injustice.
- “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy, famously used in Spike Lee’s revolutionary film Do the Right Thing, presents a powerful rallying cry against institutionalized racism, white supremacy and systemic power struggles.
- “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2 is an impactful protest song about the extreme violence during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, specifically the 1972 massacre of 14 unarmed civilians in Derry by British soldiers. The song calls for peace, unity and an end to the bloody sectarian conflict.
- “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie protests against social inequality in America, asserting that American land belongs to all citizens rather than the wealthy few.
- “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath heavily criticizes military and political leaders who start wars for profit, with lyrics that depict these generals and politicians as evil “war pigs” who view the soldiers who fight and die in wars as expendable pawns. Equating war with all things evil, this song served as a powerful anti-war anthem in protest of the Vietnam War.
- “Respect” by Aretha Franklin quickly became an anthem of women’s empowerment, demanding dignity, equality and recognition for both women and the civil rights movement.
- “Get Up Stand Up” by Bob Marley and the Wailers was an impactful reggae song that urged individuals to fight for their rights, stand up in the face of injustice and advocate for immediate action rather than sitting around waiting for things to change.
- “Nina Cried Power” by Hozier featuring Mavis Staples serves as both a protest song and as a thank you note to the various artists who have used their voices and songs to fight for civil rights, equality and peace. In the song, Hozier mentions artists like Woody Guthrie, Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan and the titular Nina Simone, to name just a few, celebrating both the history of song as a form of protest and the power of music to drive social change.
Film too has been political for as long as it has existed. German filmmaker Wim Wenders once said, “Every film is political. Most political of all are those that pretend not to be: ‘entertainment’ movies. They are the most political films there are because they dismiss the possibility of change. In every frame they tell you everything’s fine the way it is. They are a continual advertisement for things as they are.”
Film has the unique ability to reflect various themes and questions back at an audience, forcing us to come to terms with what that reflection says about the world we live in and about us as viewers. Frequently covering topics like racism, sexism, corruption and more, film can either challenge the status quo or uphold it, creating deep thought and meditation on the human condition in even the simplest of Hollywood blockbusters. In terms of specific examples, films like Do the Right Thing, Just Mercy, Parasite act as topical commentary on issues of racial prejudices, legal injustice and class strife, respectively. By forcing the audience to confront these uncomfortable issues while watching, these films force a dialogue on topics that otherwise might not be discussed.In answering the overarching question as to whether art is inherently political, the words of American author and activist Toni Morrison say it best: “All good art is political! There is none that isn’t.”