What is Art Activism? - Sydney Gomez

Part 1 - Activism in community

1. Lawsuit in attempt to stop power plant in Newark - The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) is being sued in Newark whom are planning to startup a gas-fire backup power plant in order to avoid a power outage such as the one that had occurred during Hurricane Sandy. As a result, residents of Newark are keenly aware of the health risks it poses in a heavily populated and industrialized city. 

2. Jersey City labor and peace activists unite for "Good Trouble" - On July 17, 2025, in Berry Lane Park, a group gathered demanding justice for the murder of Andrew Washington who was shot and killed by a police officer back in August 27, 2023. Not only does the organization call to bring more awareness to police brutality but also awareness for mental health issues  which Andrew Washington was undergoing however his pleas were deliberately ignored. 

3. Call for safer streets following tragic death of Jersey City 6 year old - Jersey City parents plan to rally at City Hall to demand more safety improvements after an accident killed a 6-year old boy. 

Part 2 - Defining Art Activism

From page 46 of the book The Art of Activism by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert, art activism is defined as a dynamic hybrid of art and activism. Where art is seen as expressive and activism is viewed as instrumental, art activism combines the two through a creative means. 

'War on Smog' from page 35 of The Art of Activism

In the artwork "War on Smog", it portrays a couple wearing formal marriage attire and gas masks while standing in a foggy city. The artwork is a portrayal of a street performance piece that took place in Chongqing city, China in 2014 which was advocating for an anti-smog campaign. The event was to address the issue of air pollution that is so common in China by cleverly combining street performance and nonconfrontational protesting. 

WHY ARTISTIC ACTIVISM? by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert

"While it takes years of professional training to practice (or even understand) law, policy analysis, or governmental lobbying, creativity is a skill we all already possess and can learn to hone and use to great effect."

Response: Not only is art visually striking, it is something which can be viewed without any prior knowledge and can be interpreted in many different ways by the audience. It is a medium that can leave a lasting impression. 

"While changing laws and policies are essential, laws will not be followed nor policies enacted unless people have internalized the values that lie behind them. And while marches, rallies and protests are important, they won’t have lasting impact unless the issues resonate with people. Culture lays the foundation for politics. It outlines the contours of our very notions of what is desirable and undesirable, possible and impossible."

Response: Not only does culture play a role for politics and laws, but tradition and religion are also ingrained in some of the policies that are placed by the government. For example, abortion is mostly viewed unfavorably by Republicans in the U.S due to the religious belief that it is taking a child's life. 

An Introduction to Activist Art by Stefanie Graf

"The anonymous artist Banksy seemingly agreed with the opponents of the wall and his graffiti showing a protestor throwing flowers instead of a Molotov cocktail appeared in the center of Jerusalem. With the apparent message calling for flowers instead of violence, the work has often been interpreted as a call for peace."

Response: I really appreciate the simple message that this artist sends through their artwork. Their latest artwork which was seen in London, depicts a mural of a judge wearing a powdered wig about to strike a protestor with a gavel who is lying on the ground while holding a sign that is splashed with blood. What makes it remarkable is that it was graffitied on the Royal Court of Justice but it was immediately taken down. However, despite attempting to scrub and remove the artwork, an impression is still imprinted on the building so that you can faintly see the silhouette, which I think leaves an even stronger message than the original artwork itself. The mural can be erased and disappear over time but the memory of it can never be destroyed. 

"Jacob Lawrence’s ‘Migration Series’ is inspired by the movement of African Americans from the South to the North, Midwest, and West during the 20th century, which is also called the Great Migration."

Response: In the artwork by Jacob Lawrence, it is only showing one panel out of the sixty that were created. Something as small as this is able to convey a lot but the artist felt the need to create more in order to tell a full story. In this panel, it shows two guards looking toward each other as they are holding weapons while a crowd of African Americans are getting in line to purchase tickets. It's rather grim that a group of refugees who are already trying to escape to a better life have to be monitored so closely from the people that are meant to protect them. 

The 25 Most Influential Works of American Protest Art Since World War II by Thessaly La Force, Zoë Lescaze, Nancy Hass and M.H. Miller 

Yoko Ono, "Cut Piece," 1964

"Ono initially describe 'Cut Piece' as a means of dissolving the usual dynamic between the artist (as the creator of a fixed product) and the viewer (as the passive recipient), but, decades later, Ono seems to have embraced its legacy as a social critique." 

Response: I feel like performing something like this, especially during the 1960s as a woman is too risky, but I suppose that is the point. 

Faith Ringgold, "American People Series#20: Die," 1967

"Ringgold painted 'Die' during the long hot summer of 1967, as disenfranchised Black Americans, exhausted by a racist status quo, began rebellions in cities across the country, most notably Detroit and Newark." 

Response: There's so much going on in this artwork. What I find most horrifying is the two children, a white boy and a black girl, who are holding each other during this massacre. Children aren't inherently born with racism but they can be taught and influenced.