The Art of Activism and the Activism of Art

by Gregory Sholette

Overview

Explore the dynamic intersection of art and activism in this insightful exploration of contemporary cultural movements.

Since the 2008 global financial crash, artists have increasingly engaged in cultural activism, challenging capitalism, authoritarianism, and social inequalities. The Art of Activism and the Activism of Art maps this territory, offering a critical history of activist art and its evolving forms.

Gregory Sholette, both a scholar and an activist artist, provides a unique perspective on this phenomenon. He examines the subtle distinctions between activist art and protest by artists, revealing a paradigm shift driven by the crises of contemporary capitalism. Discover how artists are using their work to challenge power, promote social justice, and navigate the complex landscape of art and politics. This is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the power of art as a catalyst for change. Target audience: Artists, art students, art historians, cultural critics, activists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848224414
Publisher:	Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd
Publication date:	11/25/2022
Series:	New Directions in Contemporary Art
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.88(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Gregory Sholette is an activist artist, writer and Professor of studio art at Queens College, CUNY. He has participated in, documented and written about activist art for over forty years.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: The Contemporary Artist as Activist: Not Just a Test; 2. 1960-1968: The Situationists' Total Critique, and Total Cure; 3. Grupo de Plasticos Argentinos de Vanguardia; 4. Escaping the Long Greenbergian Shadow; 5. 1968 and After: The Phantom Archive of Social Movement Culture; 6. 1970s: The Activist Turn in Art; 7. 1980s: Artists Respond to the Neoliberal Turn; 8. 1990s: Repurposing Situationism as Tactical Media; 9. Back to the Streets: From Tactical Media to Occupy Wall Street; 10. Institutional Critique or Cultural Abolition? 11. 2016 and After: Winter is Coming / Winter is Here; 12. Black Lives Matter: Fugitivity in Plain Sight; 13. The Contemporary Artist as Activist: Conjectures, Hauntologies, Inconclusions; Notes; Acknowledgements; Further Reading; Index

Editorial Reviews

'The rich chapters of this indispensable book demonstrate where serious art is taking place and how it can inspire true change among other intellectual practices.' – Santiago Zabala, ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at Pompeu Fabra University and author of Why Only Art Can Save Us and Being at Large

'Our present situation calls for an analysis of the ambiguities that prevail in art activism – and Sholette's is so acute that it should be distributed far and wide as a reminder of where we are.' – Slavoj Zizek

'Sholette has focused all of his work, his teaching, his writing and his life, on confronting systems of power that, left unchecked, could destroy us all.' – Carrie Mae Weems

'Sholette's book is a tour de force.' – We Make Money Not Art

'Sholette manages to provide a well-crafted, comprehensive, and well-thought-out trajectory of western activist art that is not only deeply engaging, but maintains a critical insight and unique perspective throughout.' – Alex Nicholls, Field: A Journal of Socially-Engaged Art Criticism

Selected as one of The Art Newspaper's Top Art Books of 2022:
'As a key member of the activist group Gulf Labor Coalition, Gregory Sholette has a unique perspective [...] This informed analysis spans more than 60 years of art activism' - Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper

'Sholette's latest book continues to expand our understanding of the vital, inspiring, and too often dismissed relationship between art and activism. It is an infinitely valuable historical source, but most significantly it is packed with models for future resistances.' - Lucy R. Lippard, author of Get the Message? A Decade of Art for Social Change

From the Publisher