Creating art in community is not a radical concept. Creative gestures are intrinsically embedded within cultures. Social structures are the container in which art occurs. Unarguably, social and economic structures have defined notions of what art is, who will enjoy it and who has a right to make it.
The environment in which art is made, utilized, performed or displayed determines one’s experience with it. With the advent of museums, art began to perform in spaces separate from everyday communities and their ritual activities. Artists creating the art were elevated to super human status. The voice and vision of the individual ego was applauded. This blog entry is not a tirade against museums. I have spent hundreds of enjoyable hours in museums experiencing art within architectural gems. I am happy we have these showcases of our cultural heritage. But, what about people who live hundreds of miles from a museum or maybe within blocks of one, having never ventured to put a foot inside the door?
Most people who have not studied art history might be surprised to learn that the word art only came into common use in the fourth century BCE, in the philosophical writings of Plato and Aristotle. Furthermore, the word was attached to a wide variety of arts and functional crafts made by skilled workers who were viewed as ordinary and working class because they worked with their hands. During the Renaissance a shift began to occur that recognized the mental and intellectual faculties exercised in the process of creating. The unconscious method in which we collectively define and perceive artists today has its roots in the tenets of German Romanticism.
In the 1960's and 70's many arts advocates and minority artists began to question the elite status of sanctioned artists. Art was longing to be redefined by artists who could not express what they desired within the parameters of the prescribed genres. It is redundant to pronounce that most of the exhibiting artists in Western cultures were white males working in approved disciplines. Minority artists began to organize.
Feminists reclaimed the textile arts from their association with humble crafts, while indigenous artists rebelled against the condescending terminology of primitive and naive. The Fluxus movement, performance artists and Happenings brought art into direct contact with the public. This awakening revitalized the arts and enriched its capacity to be an honest reflection of contemporary society and culture. The revolutionary questioning of the sixties and seventies gave contemporary artists of all colors and genders the privilege to express and work in multiple genres and interdisciplinary fields.
In everyday conversations about art one often hears people say, “I can’t draw or I am not creative.” People frequently measure their capacity for creativity by comparing a brief effort to the expertise of modern and contemporary masters, who have perhaps spent decades honing their skills and contemplating their intentions.
The birth of community art centers, regional theaters, traveling art carts, artists working in residence, art happenings, environmental arts and teaching artists are but a few examples of a multitude of ways artists are reaching out and into communities worldwide. Holding the space for positive creative ventures to occur in the communities where people live provides individuals with increased opportunities to express their voices and contribute to the collective choir.
My next entry will profile the project, “Traveling Postcards”, the offspring of Californian photographer Caroline Lovell. I was blessed to have had the opportunity to travel with Caroline to Punta Banco, Costa Rica this past summer with the organization, ComunicArte.
Some of the most memorable experiences from the trip were utilizing my translation skills to assist Caroline in bringing "Traveling Postcards" to the community of Punta Banco, Costa Rica. On one occasion we hiked three and a half hours through the rain forest to make postcards with a Guaymi family and learn about their fiber arts. Another afternoon we sat shoulder to shoulder, working on wooden tables in front of the mini-supermarket witnessing the delight of local children operating Caroline’s portable printer. Ultimately I was deeply moved by the ability of art to be the language of the heart which required no translation.
“… EVERY HUMAN BEING IS AN ARTIST who – from his state of freedom – the position of freedom that he experiences at first-hand – learns to determine the other positions of the TOTAL ART WORK OF THE FUTURE SOCIAL ORDER.” Joseph Beuys
