"Art and Activism at ɫɫ" by Tamara Vallejos
On practically any given commute, the odds are high someone will spot a sticker of Shepard Fairey’s Obama poster plastered onto a car. Equally high are the odds someone will have a reaction: say, approval at the sight of a like-minded political ally, or annoyance at a piece of propaganda for the opposition. When the worlds of art and activism collide, everyone can find themselves deeply invested—even the “Average Joe” who couldn’t point the way to the nearest gallery or pick a “Pollock” out of a lineup.
That’s exactly why “Art and Activism in the U.S.”, one of the current exhibitions at the ɫɫ Museum of Art, appeals to more than just art history buffs.
“It’s dealing with concerns that are really still alive and well today,” says Frances Pohl, a professor at ɫɫ and the curator of the exhibition, which includes more than 30 pieces spanning the 1920s to present. “We still have to deal with the environment, we’re still at war, we’re still looking at immigration and labor issues, and we’re still asking questions of gender and ethnicity.”