the artistic labor

Art is a collection of human experiences that results in the development of acting, visual, and auditory objects. It should be noted that these objects are intended to express the artist’s technological as well as creative techniques. It is widely accepted that art is made for two primary reasons: emotional strength and to be admired for its elegance. An artist is a person who creates art, performs art, or participates in the arts in some way. It is interesting to remember that in the entertainment industry, the word art is primarily used to refer to all types of artists, such as musicians. In the contemporary world, the term artist is used to refer to any individual that is engaged in an activity that is considered an art. In simple terms, the term is used to refer to as a person who expresses him or herself through a medium. This particular paper will carefully analyze 4 images, objects, or monuments from disparate chronological and geographical origins to explain the varied and the multi-faceted nature of artistic labor. This particular paper will make sure that it addresses how the beliefs about the type of work that has been accomplished by various artists have managed to influence the social status of the artists, as well as, the values of the images, objects, or buildings they have created.

Is the work of the artist primarily political, social, or aesthetic in nature?

It is true to state that the popularity of textile handicrafts in the United States of America (USA), is high. This is mainly because of the increase in the number of crochet nights and knitting bars hosted weekly by bars. The main artists in this particular scenario are the women try to produce art that is more critical, as well as, socially committed (Julian). This can be referred to as a new genre at art and it makes the work of the artists both political and social. It can be acknowledged that Cat Mazza who is an artist has continuously used her website to solicit knitted art from different artists across the world for the knit blanket petition. In this petition, Mazza advances various social protests, for example, the sweatshop labor protest (Julian). It is also important to acknowledge Sabrina Gschwandtner, who is also an artist that used her 2007 installation of wartime knitting to engage the various audience in discussions about the war in Iraq an act that is purely political. The above examples illustrate that knitting as an art has over the time been mobilized as a form of political or civic participation, as well as, protest. It is also important to note the creative works of an artist referred to as Allison Smith who managed to illustrate how handmade objects have always been embedded in various political narratives through the public art she orchestrated in New York that was referred to as ‘The Muster’, which she used to push forward the political agenda of civil war. It is also important to acknowledge Liz Collins an artist who through her art referred to as the ‘Knitting Nation’, displayed multi-faceted intentions, for example, giving people an inkling of the efforts put by artists in making something to addressing patriotism which purely political (Julian). From the above description, it is true to state that artists are indeed problem solvers and the kinds of needs and problems they try to address are mainly social and political.

Figure 1: Knitting Nation

Is the work performed by artist’s technical, skilled-based or foremost intellectual?

It is true to state that the work performed by artists is intellectual, technical, and skill based. Each and every artist engages his or her mind to come up with an imagination of what he or she intends to produce as an art. However, it is important to note that without the technical skills required, for example, wood carving, painting, writing, molding and singing, the artist cannot express the content of their imagination. An artist requires a combination of all the above-named skills to come up with an art. Figure 2 and figure 3 demonstrate wood and ivory carvings respectively that required a lot of technical skills from the artists to come up with. The wood carving was done in Africa by an artist referred to as Astain Ncho in which he communicates his imagination of a war drum (Monica). The ivory carving, on the other hand, was made in Africa in the late 19th century and despite the artist not being known it is clear that the artist was communicating the socioeconomic disparities in the society as the carvings show a rich man and a rich woman as his counterpart, thus, a poor man had a poor woman as his counterpart in that society (Monica).

Figure 2

Figure 3

Do the artists produce unique images or objects or do they work in multiples?

Artists do produce unique images and objects, however, some of the images and objects they create can be multiples. It is important to note that an artist’s multiple is an identical image or object that has only been commissioned by that particular artist in accordance to the ideas of the artist but made with the special intention of selling. It is true to state that artist’s multiples is not a new thing and has been practiced over the years and in the USA, the making and selling of multiples is controlled by the consumer protection law.

Do the artist’s work individually or collaboratively?

According to Allison Smith, despite most of the work she, as well as, the other artists do being considered as craft, a majority of the artists are trying to stretch their boundaries in terms of both conceptual and collaborative art. Allan smith admits that she is a conceptual artist and that is the main reason why her art is considered as craft. Allison differentiates her art and that of studio craft artists but insists that they all critically explore the relationship of art to politics. From the above explanation it can be seen that artists have for a period of time worked individually, however, they are now trying to stretch their boundaries and work collaboratively.

Works Cited

Julian Bryan Wilson. Politics. 2008. Web. Feb. 7, 2017. http://www.smith.edu/libraries/

Monica Blackmun Visona. Artistic creativity anonymity. 2011. Web. Feb. 7, 2017 http://www.smith.edu/libraries/