Blog #4 -- Art in Society

In today's society, art has the same purposes as it did in the periods we are studying, but in a less obvious and real way. We looked at the way art was portrayed as propaganda, and in the blog below, it is relevant that propaganda does exist. However, art is not always propaganda but just a means to portray a certain idea or message to the public. For example, in the painting in the left by Picasso that was mentioned in a voicethread, Picasso is making a statement on the chaos that was going on at this time in the 20th century -- war and revolution. Therefore, in this cubist piece, he is representing the chaotic world he is living in and trying to understand it. He is painting a message about the world he lived in, the fast-paced and disordered way of life, without the realism of the earlier centuries.

Another example of this idea is seen in Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Can series (1962). Although not obvious of the message he is making, a closer look shows what he is trying to portray to society. He is making a commentary on mass production by presenting numerous soup cans to show the monotony of society. Art is a useful tool for painters to influence society through their works by portraying their ideas on the world in which they live in.