1)Choose 2 examples of Disruption, Equality, and/or inclusion in art and design of interest to you. Analyze these examples separately, discussing for each (150 words minimum each).
1.
The Death of Michael Stewart, 1983, Jean Michael Basquiat, acrylic and marker on wood, 63.5×77.5cm.
This Defacement was painted by Jean Michael Basquiat and he is a famous Amercian artist who created artworks that categorized as contemporary art, neo-expressionism, and primitivism. This artwork is about an artist called Michael Stewart, who was beaten up by two New York City polices in 1983. He did graffiti on the subway and after two policies have beaten him, which causes him to death. This news has affected many people, especially Basquiat himself. This artwork conveys social issues about black masculinity and racism, where Basquiat engaged too by struggling about the black segregation.
The painting itself uses elements like density, where Basquiat have used different colors to doodle in the background. Also, you can see the unity in the subjects, the two police all have the same colors and they both have the same features, like the eyes and the uniforms. The focal point is in the middle, where the two police and the person in black standing in the middle.
This artwork is effective for not only me but many people who heard about this news, by its context; this horrifying racism situation. Basquiat himself as a well-known artist painted this situation really helped to bring attention and at the same time, his sadness towards this racism event.
2.
Édouard Manet, Olympia, 1863, oil on canvas, 130 x 190 cm.
This painting is by Edouard Manet and it simulates the painting Venus of Urbino, however in this art piece, Manet has uses different features and painting style. At his time, there was an art academic organization that decides what artwork has values in it and what are the restrictions to make a good painting. The rules were really limited and people value historic painting the most. For Manet, this painting rebels the “art values” at the time and this piece was a joke to the people who lived in that time period.
Some features that showed against the rules of the art academy was the rough strokes that he used, the women itself in nude was a prostitute ( which is not a goddess or ideal feminine), the maid whos skin is black and the black cat that represents promiscuity rather than dogs who symbolized fidelity in usual paintings.
This artwork has stood out at his time, where there are many restrictions for creating art and what counts as a masterpiece. For me, this painting also stands for pushing the boundaries of creating art and it is effective the most in his time period, but we also acknowledge his innovation now too. It expresses the openness and accepting new methods in creating artworks.
2) 200 words minimum reflecting on “disruption” and how you can reflect this in your own creative practice, whether the art and/or design itself or the structure in which you make work.
From observing racism and stereotype around me, I value diversity the most. I think many people who have stereotypes are usually people who have not know/understand the culture or person deeply. Therefore, if I am going to create an artwork, I will value shapes the most. I believe that different shapes ( either organic or geometric) all stand for differences between different people or concepts. Moreover, using different colors and draw dots on a canvas or other mediums. These ideas are abstract since I believe it is hard to define one or more features by defined drawings to convey diversity. We all look different and we are have different features, so that’s why I want to use these more vague and abstract methods to create this “disruption” artwork, to represent diversity.
