October 26 - 1960's Counterculture and War Resistence

During the Vietnam war in the 1960's to 1970's many people died. The truth about the Vietnam war lead to mass protests. The visual power of art was used by protesters to express their resistence to the U.S. Government. This was the first time there was more protest art toward the U.S. Government. Dance, visual art, music, film and colour television were among the many mediums for protesters and activists to express their thoughts about the Vietnam war. The colour television brought the war to living rooms of America and further aided artists to find information about the war beyond the television news.

In the image below is the appropration of the American flag by Jasper Johns. Jasper Johns is known for his artwork with the American flag. Here, the flag is green, black and yellow, but if the viewer is to look at it long enough and then look away, the result is an after image of the red, white and blue flag. In this image there is a bullet hole in the flag. Johns' possibly commenting about the war in a more subtle way. I found this image interesting because of its indistinct and almost subliminal message. Unlike the more obvious anti-war visual art and messages, Johns' Moratorium requires the viewer to be more contemplative in the process of seeing the after image.


Jasper Johns (American, b. 1930), Moratorium, 1969. Offset photolithograph.
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/11.30/17-dissent.html

Artists were expressing in their art what was happening around them, intentional or not. Art brought artists and activist groups together. Angry Arts Week, Guerilla Art Action Group (GAAG) and Art Workers Coalition (AWC) were formed during this time of war resistence. Furthermore, artists questioned the position of museums in the war and the position of the artists' themselves. Art activists were able to collectively demand for their own rights as artists and simultaneously for humanity. Demonstrations by the AWG were staged as antiwar actions that were performative and often resulted in the participation of the public. The demonstrations took place across the country protesting against many different issues concerning the American people.

Out of all the anti-war artist demonstrations and groups came Conceptual art. Conceptual art was preferred to express "political" thoughts or issues. Conceptualism questioned the idealisation and commodification of high art and simply focused on the "idea". In previous political art, poster art were artist print editions that were purchased by the public. Various artists used their art as a method of activism and often used the profit from selling the art towards anti-war efforts.Posters turned up in newpapers, at demonstrations and on the street.

The photos below were taken by Jan van Ray during AWC and GAGG demonstrations.



http://otherthings.com/janvanraay/photos/index.html