Activity #7 - Write About It - MID-TERM

Politics and The Social Order is a theme that encompasses the very fabric of our society. Its works would include projects ordered by leaders that would symbolize their power (e.g. The Great Pyramids), or even representations of the rulers themselves, perhaps a sculpture or a painting. (Getlein 57) To understand what the Politics and The Social Order theme may include today, all one has to do is look at pictures of the Bald Eagle soaring in the sky with a picture of the American flag waving proudly amidst the mountains or visit the moments in Washington, DC and admire the architecture of the Lincoln Memorial. Works that lead us back or make us think of our government are the epitome of this theme.

Just like our government and political system, all of the works that would fit under Politics and The Social Order are not always peaceful, happy and full of pride. The American government is a democracy and its citizens have a voice in decisions that are made. Of course, simply having a voice and utilizing it when one is not satisfied is not necessarily enough to make a change of governmental proportions. Or is it? Perhaps a group of voices all shouting the same thing would be enough. Or would it?

Regardless of the outcomes, for more than a century, American citizens have been voicing their opinions, outrage, support, contempt, and disbelief in the form of demonstrations. Here, a collection of photographs, one from each decade of the 20th century, has been put together to show Politics and The Social Order from the average citizen’s perspective. Each picture tells a story, a cause of that era.

As days pass and the issues are no longer relevant, these works of art serve as a reminder. Once time has been captured in this manner there is no way, short of destroying the work, of denying yesterday. That is the purpose of these photographers’ works. Stories can be passed on, lessons can be learned and memories can be refreshed. Most importantly, the road traveled to get where we are today can never be forgotten.

Though these pictures spanned the course of almost 100 years, all of the photographers managed to capture the same thing, human spirit. Facial expressions, body language, emotions, gestures, and text are present in these photos. The artists captured visual elements such as implied line, direction and movement, shape, space, linear perspective and time. They utilized visual principals such as unity, asymmetrical balance and emphasis.

Note: All of the photos will be described by their year.
In the 1963 and the 1945 the photographers captured a linear perspective as well as movement. When looking at the protesters, the viewer knows that they are moving along their path and somewhere behind them there are more demonstrators to come. In the 1980, implied line, movement and direction have all been employed. When studying this picture, the viewer will first focus on the person farthest to the right and their eyes will move in the direction, along the path (or implied line) that the men are marching. One can tell that the men are in motion because the photographer captured the stride of the men’s steps. The use of space by the photographers tells a lot about the attention given to the cause. In looking at the 1922 or the 1936, one may wonder how many people will be impacted or affected by the issue at hand. When looking at the 1963 or the 1991, the viewer will know that there is a great concern among the people for this particular issue. Emphasis was used in the 1909, the 1976, the 1991, the 1963 and the 1980. The 1909 protest was in reference to child slavery, thus the photographer stressed that fact by photographing only children. In both the 1976 and the 1991, the photographer captured emphasis with large white signs. The 1963 and the 1980 were both racial issues and the artists chose to capture only the races at issue. All of the pictures, with the exception of the single person photos, contain unity whether it’s the signage being carried by members in the crowd or the simple act of marching in unison. Finally, each photographer managed to capture perfect balance in these pictures. All of the photos show asymmetrical balance, quite noticeably the 1945. The larger woman in the front of the line along with a portion of the gentleman behind her are balanced off by the 3 people in line behind them.

Each one of these photographs speaks volumes. No matter what the subject or content, the fights that are captured in these pictures have made life what it is today and are important to all of us. They serve as a reminder of where we have been and they can guide us to where we are going. When life’s issues seem too hard, a quick peek at this collection will remind us of how hard things really could be.

source: Getlein, Mark Living With Art 8th Ed. 2006