Blog Post #2 Chris Miller
The Cuban art and cultural scene, while it has many similarities to other nations, it also seems to have a mind of its own. While Cubans have quite obviously always appreciated cultural aspects such s art, music, dance, etc., it also seems that the Cuban people have similarly always struggled to have the ability to produce their emotions visually, especially in the arts. Having said that, of course, there have been artists, like Wilfredo Lam, who became an international success, while at the same time adhering to Cuban Cultural values and imposed government sanctions and control over artistic expression. However, as time has gone on, Cuban art appears to have changed quite a bit. Not necessarily visually, in terms of form or content, but rather politically and subconscious inherent meaning found within artistic works. Ironically, it also appears that the Cuban ideology that art should have political undertones and meaning, had begun to backfire on the government, mostly starting in the 1960s and 1970s. The prevalence of the Afro-Cubanism movement, has similar aspects to the struggles of many African communities throughout the world, however, African influence on Cuban culture has played a different role in its own right. Not only does the movement address the lack of African cultural and artistic expression found within the Cuban art scene, but like many places, it makes references to the history of African heritage. Much like America, the Afro-Cuban movement, signaled the beginning of addressing the struggles that black Cuban communities have, and likely still do to some degree, face.
One of the movements that I found more interesting was the avant-garde movement of Cuba. Avant-garde has a way of bringing with it the necessity to think, process, analyze and study the meaning behind it. It isn't always clear, nor is it supposed to be. However, in my view, it seems that the avant-garde movement, especially that of Wilfredo Lam, have a way of referencing large international avant garde artistry, Picasso-esque paintings, while also directly reflecting the "Cubanismo" that identifies with the Cuban people, their struggles, their political ideologies, and the importance of their values.
As time passed, Cuban art has become much more brash in its outright support, or lack thereof, of the government and their policies. Especially in light of Decree 349. Honestly, it surprises me that the Cuban socialist government would try to enforce this Decree. I can obviously see how artistic expression can be a direct threat to socialist government ideologies, however, it surprises me that the Cuban government thought that would work with the Cuban people. While the Cuban people have/do deal with much more than we as Americans may ever know, their ties to their culture and the freedom of expression that it brings in the face of subversion and subjugation, is the way that the Cuban people work through their pain, and provides political ideology in light of the inability to criticize their own government.
Questions:
How does the art scene within Cuba affect the political ideology of those who don't make art, but rather consume it? Do you believe that it may be possible to change an entire ideology of a national people with art?
How can the Cuban people use their art to their advantage? As Cuban art has made its way into the international scene, do you think that this may lead to further American sympathy with the Cuban people?
Interesting questions! I think political art throughout Cuba affects the ideologies of those consuming it greatly. Obviously, there is street art promoting Castro or Che, and there is graffiti with political phrases, but the Cuban art scene also includes the work of artists like Wifredo Lam, whose political art encourages the viewer to analyze the piece deeper. I think these pieces, rather than the "everyday" street art, would have a bigger impact on citizens. It is those pieces that lead the viewer to think about their own political views and compare them to what the artist is trying to communicate. Unfortunately, I do not think it is possible to use art to change a nation's ideologies. Not everyone shares the same appreciation for art as others, and I think it would take more than art to convince people to change their views.
ReplyDeleteThe Cuban people use art to send a message, to promote, to show their culture, and to express their feelings. I do think Cuban art has led Americans to have an appreciation for the country and respect for the Cuban people. I would hope that Americans would see the beauty of the country through its art.
Hi Chris,
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting analysis. I like how you mentioned the Cubanismo. Perhaps "Cubanism" could be its own artistic style, reflecting the collective styles of Cuba. You said "I can obviously see how artistic expression can be a direct threat to socialist government ideologies" but I honestly don't see how this is obvious or how it is any more relevant to socialism than capitalism. Could you clarify this?
I like your first question. I certainly think that if an artist expresses their view well, it can influence consumers. However, many artists tend to overestimate the clarity of their messaging to the majority of non-artist consumers, who don't tend to use art for any purpose beyond decoration. It might be possible to change an entire nationality's ideology through art, though I'm not aware of anywhere where this has been attempted.
As for your second question, Cuban people have used art to their advantage as a form of speech and press when they were not able to speak or publish freely. They have used it to disseminate Cuban culture in the US through its exception to the embargo. I certainly do think that exposure to Cuban culture (or any particular culture), including through art, will increase the sympathy of the exposed culture towards the other.
Jason,
DeleteThanks for responding to my post. As for some clarification, the entire ideology of capitalism lies in the ability to make use of/take advantage of individuality. This is what makes our society and economy work. I can capitalize on something individually, make money from it, express my opinions/feelings, participate politically, etc. We have that right here. This also plays into politics a bit as well, as capitalism doesn't exist solely in democratic societies.However, the ideology behind socialist society is cohesion. Individuality is not the main source of reasoning behind making society work. "One for all and all for one" mentality is important here. Because of this, anything that goes against this social cohesion can be considered a threat. We see this to certain degrees in quite a low of socialist societies, however, at the same time, there are societies that make use of socialist policies and ideas without stifling individuality. Scandinavia is a good example. Personally, I don't necessarily think that any means of production, socialism, capitalism, etc. necessarily has to be a bad thing. All manners have their pros and cons, and can be used in a way that doesn't stifle human rights.
While I agree with most of your analysis, I have to disagree with the sentence about art being a threat to socialist ideology. Many of the Cuban artists that are being censored by the government are socialists, like Yulier P. The art disrupts social homogeneity and nationalism. These artists don't rail against the ideology so much as they do the poor leadership of the Cuban government. As for your questions...
ReplyDelete1. I think Cuban art has had an enormous effect on peoples' political beliefs. Movements like Afrocubanismo have revitalized an appreciation for many Cuban's African heritage. Performance art like that of "El Sexto" actively inspires people to fight against the repression of the Cuban government. Art absolutely has the power to shift the ideology of an entire nation. It can be seen in any country that utilizes propaganda. Look at the Soviet Union. It was the first country to become communist, and it convinced the people of all 15 Soviet republics to rally under that political system. Art is immensely influential.
2. From my understanding, Cuban art has been utilized in two main ways. The first is practical. International trade of Cuban art has allowed people to support themselves in a deteriorating economy. The second it to raise awareness. Cuban art has brought greater awareness to the struggles of the Cuban people internationally. Artists like Los Carpinteros exhibit their works all across the globe. I have no doubt that this has contributed to growing sympathy for the Cuban people among Amerians.
I really enjoy your questions! Your first question is a really interesting point that I haven't thought about yet. It is interesting to wonder about those that solely are intaking the art made instead of creating it themselves, the political art pieces primarily. I do wonder if the big murals that contain political propaganda are more influencing on the viewer than the small artworks on the street that a politically opposed to the current government. Perhaps the Cuban people know that they big ones are government approved and thus may be fabricated while the ones on the street are the harsh reality that Cubans face everyday. I think the Cubans have really used art to their advantage, I remember one of the resources saying that they keep their art subversive yet subtle and I think that is helping artists speak their mind and stay uncensored by the government
ReplyDelete