Paper Example on Social Issues in Artwork of Whitney Biennial

Social issues like police brutality, wealth gap and immigration are greatly influenced by the artwork of Whitney Biennial 2017. Whitney Biennials artwork reveals a high level of political mood. The artworks are attentive to the United States political mood. Issues of racism, immigration, misogyny, economic problems, and Muslim ban continue to influence the United States of America political mood. Most of the works in Whitney biennials 2017 were chosen before 2016 general elections. Politics is the subject matter that is majorly revealed in artworks of Whitney Biennial 2017. Racism is profoundly revealed in artworks of Whitney Biennial 2017. There are many photographs in Whitney Biennial 2017 that address issues about racial identities, ethnic identities, and gender matters. The artworks that address racial identities, ethnic identities and gender matters are ingenious. Celeste Dupuy-Spencer drawings and paintings are full of satire. Artworks by Celeste Dupuy-Spencer target Trumps loyal fans during Trump rallies on the eve of general elections. The target audience in Celeste Dupuy-Spencer artworks includes narcissistic leftists. Police brutality against male African Americans and racial profiling by the police force are addressed in Whitney Biennial 2017. Henry Taylor artwork is highly expressive of a black man who is killed by a white police officer. Issues that contemporary artists grapple with are revealed in Whitney Biennial 2017. There are artworks that address issues of student loans and financial debts that contemporary artists have to grapple with in their quest to become world-class artists. It is also revealed that contemporary artists not only have to deal with financial debt, they also have to deal with problems pertaining to funding of their projects and being taken advantage by moneyed people who promise to fund their projects but later exploit the artists. It is revealed that most artworks by contemporary artists are not owned by contemporary artists, the artworks are owned by financiers of contemporary artists. Radicalism in art has lurched to the front during the Trump and several controversies that revolve around his presidency. Artists in the Whitney Biennials 2017 have become more radical in their artworks. The artworks in Whitney Biennial 2017 reveal a shift from the conservative nature of most artworks in previous years. Artists in Whitney Biennial 2017 have become bolder in expressive their thoughts and feelings about the current political mood in the United States. Samara Golden reveals his take on politics in his artwork known as The Meat Grinders Iron Clothes. In the artwork, the artist has constructed miniaturized sets of ceremonial, institutional and domestic interiors that sit next to a window that is adjacent to the Hudson River. In the artwork, one can discern a political message about social class and social issues. The work contains chairs and sofas that have been covered with textiles. Medical instruments can be seen gleaming on carts that are wheeled. Environmental issues are addressed in Whitney Biennial 2017. There are many artworks that talk about ecological and environmental issues that contemporary society contends with. Artwork by Asad Raza, a resident of Buffalo, aptly addresses ecological issues that the contemporary society has to grapple with. The artwork by Raza reveals trees at different stages of their growth. The artwork by Raza is an example of how artists engage in activism to address ecological problems that affect society. The artworks message is that trees at all stages are important and need to be respected and protected from human activities. Trees are a source of life. Without trees, we will probably have no water and wild animals. In the artwork, Raza urges people to conserve trees as a way of ensuring that future generations live a life, worthy living.

The 2017 Whitney Biennial addresses racial tensions, economic problems, social problems and polarizing politics that the United States is grappling with. Artists in the 2017 Whitney Biennial challenge the audience to rethink about how the social, political and economic issues affect lives of ordinary Americans. In the 2017 Whitney Biennial, sixty-three artists display their artworks with all the artworks addressing current social, political and economic issues that affect the United States. Activism is revealed by the artworks in the 2017 Whitney Biennial. Artists compel the audience to overhaul their thinking and ensure that political, social and economic issues are fully addressed. Racism is revealed in artworks by Matt Browning and Henry Taylor. Artworks by the two artists reveal that African Americans are racially discriminated from an economic point of view thus making it difficult for them to take part in upward mobility. It is revealed by the artworks that most of the people in the United States who live in poverty are African Americans. Apparently, racism in America has been institutionalized to the extent that it is difficult for individuals who come from racially and socially disadvantaged communities to access economic and employment opportunities that would ensure that they live decent lives. An artwork by Deana Lawson reveals that African Americans yearn to live descent lives, the same way that Caucasians yearn to live a descent life and therefore, dreams of African Americans should not be shattered because of the color of their skin.

Environmental issues are addressed by artworks in the 2017 Whitney Biennial. Artwork by Sky Hopinka addresses environmental problems that the contemporary society has to deal with. In the artwork, what appears like debris and wreckage litters a field full of green grass. The message by Sky Hopinka is that failure by human beings to take care of the environmental will have serious negative implications in the future. Therefore, human beings have to take a leading role in ensuring that the environmental is well taken care of. Artwork by Park McAthur reveals that if human beings take good care of the environment, we will all have fresh air to breathe and a peaceful ambiance to living in. Artwork by Anicka Yi reveals that human beings should take a leading role in environmental conservation. Racial issues are addressed in the 2017 Whitney Biennial. Artworks by Deana Lawson and Henry Taylor show portraits of black families in environments that are domestic. The artworks show black children, black men, and black women. The artworks reveal economic struggles that African Americans have to contend with on a daily basis due to racial discrimination. There are artworks that confront racial hatred that is prevalent in America in a straightforward manner. Dana Schutz artwork is a painting of a boy who has been lynched with a deep incision on his body. The artwork by Dana Schutz addresses police brutality that has been meted on African Americans in recent years. Politics and current events are addressed in the 2017 Whitney Biennial. Artists address political issues with a touch of humor so that they may not appear too serious.

Bibliography

Laneri, R. (2017). The immigrant painter documents the undocumented. New York Post. Retrieved on May 9, 2017, from http://nypost.com/2017/03/17/this-immigrant-painter-documents-the-undocumented/

Ruseth, A. (2017). The 2017 Whitney Biennial is a moving, forward-looking Tour de Force- a Triumph. ArtNews. Retrieved on May 7, 2017 from http://www.artnews.com/2017/03/14/the-2017-whitney-biennial-is-a-moving-forward-looking-tour-de-force-a-triumph/

Schjeldahl, P. (2017). The Whitney biennials political mood. The Art World. Retrieved on May 7, 2017, from http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-whitney-biennials-political-mood