How artists have responded to political atrocities and change in the 21st Century.

 

The modern world or how we like to call it: 21st century.  It is not just a simple number, it is a world progress in Art, technology and innovations. But the main question is: does knowledge bring good into the world?! the answer can either positive or negative.

When people are trying to create something successful for life, at the samemoment they are creating guns, chemical, nuclear weapons. We are thinking that these weapons will protect us but at the same time they are killing us.

In my research, I want to talk about: “WAR”; Politics and people.

In my opinion Politics- It is a key to all problems.  Our word has built on mutual agreement between the countries but it is not always possible to keep this balance. increasingly, in many countries are happening conflicts arise because of misunderstanding of the people of their government does and it all reflects on civilians.

Every time when I am opening the newspaper, my eye is catchingmore and more articles about countries where started new conflicts, terrors or civil war during what millions of innocent people were hurt or killed.

During 17 years, around the world was happened a lot of terror attacks, civil wars, protests which was suffered loss in the population as well as the architectural values. starting from 1999 year: Second Chechen War; War Against Terror; NATO, United States, United Kingdom against Taliban, Al-Qaida, ISIL; War in Ukraine/Donbass War; Ukraine against Russia, Donetsk, Luhansk) and it is just 1 third of list wars.

Many artists were influenced by horrifying situation in the world. contemporary art is often criticised as pointless or overvalued by art market elites. Usually art for us it is a nice landscape or portraits but there are some quite brave artists who are not afraid to create paintings in a particular way, to deal with contemporary reality using old and new forms of art to draw general social issues.

I spent a lot of time for researching and visiting the galleries and museums to see what is “WAR” from the different views. Based on my study, I started looking for artist who are also as I specialised in art movements like: Post-impressionism/ Expressionism. I had chance to visit places like: Tate Modern, Science Museum in Manchester and London, National Gallery of London, City gallery of Manchester, Royal Academy of Arts…. and I found a lot of artists who are specialised in making masterpieces which are representing the true story of the situation in the world. it is: Guy Denning, Marius Berchea, Ghassan Ghaib,Max Gisberg, Nedim Kufi. Half number of this artists joined war and they know the true price for life. That’s why their art works truly showing the main feeling of this dramatic situation.

Many works of art were destroyed because of political disengagement’s take for example Island. the state was committed an act of vandalism in which many of architectural value was destroys and one of them was the statue which was created in VII century BC.

The inspiration of this project is civil war in Ukraine and countries which took part in this conflict: Russia and USA.

Can you imagine that such a tragic situation occurred because misunderstanding between citizen and government?! One petition, another… that’s how began the civil war that pull other countries in their problems to find the right (USA) and find the wrong (Russia) which scare other countries. But it is not that important how horrific death of innocent people and children, how they losing loved ones, housing the place where they were born and raised. Ukraine become a great battlefield, and no one know who is right and who is wrong.

 

The most successful trip was to Royal Academy of Arts in London. I was lucky to see Russian revolution exhibition where i have learned a lot of new about Russian Art and history

It seems to us that all what was happened in the past it will never happen again but the real life showing to us that our past it is our future.  As I mentioned Russia before, it is the best example of my theory. A change of government, new rules, new life but all the same pitiable exodus. This exhibition telling a story how the Soviet Union was built and how it was crushed.

A lot of paintings was done during this situation in Russia.  some people was happy with a new change in Russia, some not. That’s how was born new art movement like “Constructivism”. when Stalin become a president of Russia, his first idea was to create strong Union, to make Russia powerful and independent, that’s how was included artists in this political mess. in Soviet Union was just one type of art which had to be simple and understandable for all people. it had to be about communities, health and rules. there was not a big choice for artists. but there were some brave artists who was not shy to show the reality from their point of view on the situation. it is: Boris Kustodiev; Kandinsky with his abstract art; Marc Chagall…

 

Mostly, I was inspired by ‘The Bolshevik’ by Boris Kustodiev. This master piece showed to me what really happened in Russia in that period. I can see the strength, confidence in the face of that Bolshevik. Holding the Red flag he is moving straightand crushing the people beneath his feet who are on theirway to burn the church.

The history fact is saying that the revolution was led by the Bolsheviks, who used their influence in the Petrograd Soviet to organize the armed forces. Bolshevik Red Guards forces under the Military Revolutionary Committee began the takeover of government buildings on 24 October 1917. The following day, the Winter Palace (the seat of the Provisional government located in Petrograd, then capital of Russia), was captured.

The ‘TRUE’ word-  that what was appreciated in Russia at that time but that did not stop people to start the war.

The war, it is everywhere… in cinema, in books, in Art and of course, in a real life. Every time we are fighting to be free, to have power, to be rich. For example, 1/2 World Wars. 30 countries were joined in this battle which was started from those who wanted to be firs, from those who wanted to be a ‘King of the World’ like Hitler.

All those actions were captured by Russian artists who I had opportunity to see on the=at exhibition. I was so shocked and amazed by the strength and braveness of that artists, so many emotions which needed to be captured on the paper which I did to show my own feelings about past and this past influence by our future. that’s how I started to do a lot of different sketches of war.

There was also a lot of artists who I was inspired by. For example, in Tate Modern, I found such a talented photographer who photographed Iranian Photobooks. The collection of Martin Parr of Iranian Revolution 1979. there was portrayed his own version of what was happened, his own story… how one photographer commented:’ If the message of the Iranian Revolution was spelled in blood, then photography was the medium through which this message was delivered to the rest of the work.

For all these reasons, I decided to use my skills in art to picture my personal view, opinion on what is happening in the world. learning more and more information/ details, I did a lot of sketches of soldiers and children who are in my opinion the main face of the war. My goal is to capture emotions of this action. With a brush and paint, I want to show the pain and suffering that I feel when I see people who has to live in this hell or better to say ‘survive’ in it.

I have done a lot of sketches in a different media to find the right one which will fully translate my feeling to the viewer. The most successful technique was HB pencil. Black-and- white style made their faces look more in pain which for me is a good example of emotion like sadness. That what I am expecting to see in eyes of people who will see it.