In 1989, Shepard Fairey was just a street artist in high school helping a friend out on a project. That project was to draw a stencil out of “Andre the Giant”, a wrestler. He drew it and named it “Andre the Giant Has a Posse”, which is the name of the famous art piece today. He had no intention of it getting popular, but it did. He stated it as getting awkwardly popular in society. He then went on supporting political issues and events in the future. When it all came from helping a friend with a
Gallery 19 of the Museum of Modern Art features Pop Art trailblazers of the early 1960s, ranging from Roy Lichtenstein’s “Girl with Ball” to Andy Warhol’s “Gold Marilyn Monroe.” Alongside these emblematic works of art, there hangs a more simplistic piece: a six foot square canvas with three yellow letters, entitled “OOF.” The work of art, created by Ed Ruscha in 1962, is a painting that leaves little room for subjective interpretation as does the majority of his work. Ruscha represented the culture in the 1960s through his contributions to the transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art, efforts to redefine what it meant for a painting to be fine art, and interpretation of the Space Race.
The art represented more than just sculpture. The art represented the social issue of racism by not having “black art” in a “white museum”. History shows us that black or African-American people have had a hard time fitting into this society because of the older days were black people were considered to be inferior to the “white
When Terry Malloy was first introduced, he did not make any indications that he would strive for the respect that he gained throughout the story. His tough-guy behavior and compassionate attitude has made him what he is: a hero. He never revealed what he was truly made of or what he was capable of. He always had low self-esteem about himself—repeatedly calling himself a “bum.” Despite his stubbornness to change and his ignorance to others, Malloy proves himself by doing what he knows is right to be a true hero.
The art in a social justice movement is used to further educate individuals while entertaining them; one example is the 1978s classic The Wiz. The Wiz was created during the Black Arts Movement to illustrate historical and political issues in the African American communities. If one watches The Wiz closely one can see the how the Scarecrow character is used to demonstrate how African American mental mislead. The Scarecrow was told over and over by the Crows he was not smart enough to get down off of “dis here pole”. The Scarecrow believed the Crows and felt he was dumb and not good enough. However, the Scarecrow was very smart, but due to years of being mental beat down he could see it. This has happened so many times in African American history. African Americans have
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is a sitcom portraying actor Will Smith in the title role which aired on television from 1990 to 1996 (IMDB). The Fresh Prince is a comedy that showcases the efforts of a young under-privileged black teen trying to adapt to the lavish lifestyle of his wealthy relatives, whom he is sent to live with. The sitcom is actually based on the real life struggles of the producer Benny Medina. The character “Will” was sent by his mother to Bel Air to live with his aunt “Vivian Banks,” played by actresses Janet Hubert and Daphne Reid, and uncle “Philip ‘Uncle Phil’ Banks,” played by actor James Avery, to escape the inner city confines of Philadelphia.
A family can be classified as one of many things. It can be a group of people living under one roof; a group of people of common ancestry; or even a unit of a crime syndicate like the Mafia (Merriam Webster). But to Holden Caulfield, the main character of J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher In The Rye, his family was what we as a society normally think of when that word is spoken. There are always variations on a theme, but a typical family consists of two parents and at least one child. During the 1950’s when the novel is set, adoption was virtually unheard of and divorce could be considered a sin where as today these are common practices. But one thing about family that has prevailed through the decades is the family’s affect on a person’s existence. The way a person interacts with their family can affect them for the rest of their lives. And the way a family interacts with a specific person can affect that person for the rest of their life. It is a two way relationship which is often complicated and confusing, especially to Holden.
When I first encountered my first Obey Giant sticker poster was when I went to San Francisco with my Mom. Immediately upon arriving in the city, where the artist Shepard Fairy is from, It was on almost every block we passed riding in the taxi you could find a sticker, poster, or stencil of the Obey Giant image. The image is merely a black and white stamp of Andre the Giants’ face with the word OBEY in red and white underneath it. When I first saw it I didn’t really think anything of it, it was only when I would see the image almost everywhere we went around the San Francisco area when I began to wonder what it meant. After reading about it on the Internet and learning that these images can be found across the United States and around the world, I was amazed and intrigued. I immediately became almost obsessed with this idea. I just loved everything about it. It is to this day the most interesting thing I have ever encountered. Many people, like myself have demanded the sticker, merely because they have seen it everywhere and possessing a sticker provides a sense of belonging. I collect them mainly because I love the idea, and part of the experiment is spreading them around and making others aware. There are many other imitations, and other artist who are fascinated with the idea and come up with their own visuals used for the same purpose as Shepard Fairey.
Watts, Steven. “The Young Artist as Social Visionary” The Romance of Real Life. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994. pp. 49-70.
The book "Donnie Brasco" is based on the undercover life of the author, Joseph D. Pistone, an F.B.I agent who penetrated one of New York City's five families in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Joseph D. Pistone served in the FBI for 28 years, including six years of undercover life in the New York Bonanno crime family, where he operated as a jewel thief under the name Donnie Brasco. Due to his undercover work, more than 200 members of the Mafia were put behind bars.
While his life was building up to the moment he became rich off of his creativity, it helped him become the man he is today. No matter how unique his life has been, one thing has been a constant in his life, along with many others; He was influenced by the color and personality shown through a piece of art, which was the intent in the first place.
After the 1940 surrender of Paris, which many Americans viewed as the fall of culture due to Paris’ status as the international mecca for the arts, it was evident that the world required a new and superior cultural hub. Throughout the 1940s American artists, with the influence of European Modern and Surrealist painters, were able to elevate New York City to the center of the art world by implementing a “new, strong, and original” artistic style that simultaneously fought fascist ideology: Abstract Expressionism (Guilbault 65). After the war, galleries throughout Europe exhibited American Abstract art, Rothko’s in particular, to prove that American art, once thought tasteless, possessed artistic depth and merit (“Mark Rothko”). Therefore, Abstract Expression had a major role in making New York City the worldwide cultural metropolis that it is today. In terms of shifts in worldview, Abstract Expressionism placed a great importance on intense emotion and spirituality in a society where religiousness was, and continues to be, replaced by other, often self-centered or materialistic, pursuits. The movement allowed and encouraged the public to explore their darkest fears and woes, which, in the wake of the Second World War and, later on, during the Cold War was likely therapeutic. Above all else, it made society recognize that art should no longer be viewed with suspicion; instead, it should be accepted as an integral element of culture
Character Analysis of Louie Zamperini Louie Zamperini has escaped the grievance with his life and has become an advanced soul. Louie Zamperini lived in a miniature house in Torrance, California. He was a fascinating Olympian. He was also held captive as a prisoner of war. In the book Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand uses the life experiences of Louie Zamperini to show the traits of optimism and rebelliousness.
Monster is the story about a 16 year old black boy named Steve Harmon from Harlem. Steve is on trial for a being a possible accomplice to a murder. The book begins with him in jail waiting for his trial to start. The story is written in screenplay format along with Steve’s journal writing which he does even in the courtroom. Steve enjoys filmmaking and screenplay writing. Steve writes this way to keep his sanity while being in prison during the trial. The majority of the story takes place in the courtroom. Steve is there with another defendant, James King, who has his own attorney. The events of the robbery unfold through the accounts of witnesses, attorneys and the participants. The book is about Steve’s trial and whether he will be found guilty of felony murder. In the end, Steve is found innocent but the reader is left to wonder if Steve is guilty or not. It is a story of a young man who wants to act tough and ends up in trouble for this.
Adam Sandler is a well-known comedian, musician, actor, screenwriter, and singer. He is known throughout the nation for his accomplishments in the entertainment business.
Although other artists know who he is, Banksy doesn’t have a public face that he shows at galleries and in his documentaries. In Will Ellsworth-Jones article “The Story Behind Banksy: on his way to becoming an international icon, the subversive and secretive street artist turned the art world upside-down” he talks about one of Banksy’s earlier galleries. Ellsworth-Jones says “The show was a high-profile demonstration of the phenomenon that has come to be known as the ‘Banksy effect’—the artist’s astounding success in bringing urban, outsider art into the cultural, and increasingly profitable, mainstream” (2). Banksy’s “effect” is altering urban culture and bringing it to art galleries to be displayed and sold. In the grand scheme of things, he is commodifying graffiti and urban culture, making it more consumable and then proceeding selling and profit off of it. In A&E’s biography page for Banksy they state that Banksy’s work is unique due to the fact that it “often engages political themes, satirically critiquing war, capitalism, hypocrisy and greed.” The uniqueness of his work is a common reason different news outlets give for Banksy’s success. Contrary to popular belief, Banksy’s content isn’t groundbreaking. Artists of all mediums, including graffiti, before and during his time have touched upon all of the same themes as