is waif
THE ARTIST AND THE REVOLUTION
We find ourselves in the midst of a historical revolution. A battle to protect marginalized and oppressed lives. In what form does this revolution take? Is it a cultural revolution, a battle of ideologies, or some type of civil war? I can’t say for certain, but what I do know is that artists play an important role in defining this era.
First, I think we should cover my definition of art:, which I see as anything creatively
manufactured for the consumption of our senses. This can be food, photos, film, music, etc. It is
one of the most important elements in the growth of human understanding, of oneself, and the
universe as a whole. But what is the role of art and the artist during the age of revolution?
I’m a Black artist. I’m an accomplished documentary filmmaker, I’m a comedian, a podcaster,
basically a renaissance man. I have an ongoing podcast (called the Black Hole Podcast, check
it out), where I talk to young artists about whatever they want to converse about. And what I’ve
realized is that every artist I’ve talked to has a drive, especially now, to fight for what they
believe is right. And their work naturally reflects this in some way. As an artist we cannot help
but to create, and what we create will always have some kind of impact on the revolution.
“My audience is subjected to what I have to say, and what I say, while being a joke, gives the audience not only the tools to conduct a conversation, but the permission to as well.”
In revolution, art serves two main purposes. The first being that of a morale modifier. The
second, a representation of history. Morale is the drive to continue a movement. Good morale
pushes participants to do whatever it takes to achieve victory. On the contrary, bad morale
drags participants increasingly closer to despair, ultimately resulting in a form of failure.
Art that serves to boost morale can create a sense of unity and mutual understanding amongst
like-minded viewers. For example, take a look at the work of Leni Reifenstahl for the Nazi party.
Reifenstahl’s work creates an extremely exaggerated and pristine depiction of the aryan race;
she created and portrayed an image that made the Nazi individual look strong, uniform, and
physically flawless in every way. Why, you ask? Well, because the Nazis fought for the
superiority of the aryan race. In other words, Reifenstahl’s propagandistic artwork was a
representation of what they were fighting for.
A more modern example is Beyonce’s absolute masterpiece, Black is King. First off, holy shit.
Secondly, gotdam. Beyonce’s Black is King serves to empower Black individuals with the sense
of pride towards Black individuals and Black culture that is deeply lacking in American society.
Black is King provides revolutionary soldiers with pride towards themselves and a reminder of
what they fight for. It is a piece of artwork that all progressives – everyone fighting to protect the
oppressed – can rally behind and trumpet.
But what uplifts one can serve to attack the other. MAGA hats, Blue Lives Matter flags, the
artistically performative acts of right wing news correspondents—all serve an entirely different
agenda. While it may give some form of camaraderie among those who follow this doctrine, it demonizes the other side. It can ultimately be demoralizing for those who do not side with such
rhetoric.
The point of art, in this respect, is to compress ideas, rhetorics, and concepts in a way that is
easily accessible and digestible by the masses. I do this a lot in my stand-up. Taking a heavy
topic that relates to my own life as a Black man, and chopping it down into easily
mentaly-digestible pieces. My audience is subjected to what I have to say, and what I say, while
being a joke, gives the audience not only the tools to conduct a conversation, but the permission
to as well.
With this being said, it is also important to acknowledge that all art isn’t confined within the
constraints of morale manipulation. To say that it is, is a grim and flippant explanation of what
art can really be. James Baldwin once remarked, “All art is a kind of confession, more or less
oblique. All artists, if they are to survive, are forced, at last, to tell the whole story; to vomit the
anguish up.” Art is the truth of human reality—of the artist’s reality. Even if just for a moment,
viewers are able to see the world through the eyes of the artist. It is an uncompressed
representation of the sensibilities and understandings held within our time.
Art is history. Art can document important moments (both in truth and exaggeration), a photo of
Richard Nixon meeting Mao Zedong, a romantic painting of George Washington crossing the
Delaware River, or a drone video capturing a battle between protesters and armed police.
Art also defines an era. Whenever we hear “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater or “Purple
Haze” by Jimi Hendrix, our minds are transported to the 1960s: a time of protest and war. When
we watch a movie like Red Dawn or Invasion of the Body Snatchers, we can come by an
understanding of the “red fear” held by Americans throughout much of the twentieth century.
Decades from now, when people look back on the late 2010s and the 2020s as a whole, what
will define our mindset? Will it be art such as the song “This is America,” which reflects some of
our more harrowing views of American police violence, gun culture, and racist identity? Will it be songs such as, Accidental Racist which portrays America as a place rife with mistakes but
contains a good and honest soul?
What of the artist, though? We established the art’s role in revolution, but what is the individual’s
role? We are the wizards, the creators, and the manufacturers of art. We have the social
responsibility to provide the world with our perspective—one that is catalyzed by the societies
we find ourselves in. Written history is a simple documentation of what is, and it is controlled by
those who are in power. Written history should be confined by fact and not feeling, but art is
allowed to be more than that. Artists can reflect and not simply document. They are allowed to
ask questions, look for meaning, and criticize the world as they see fit. Art allows room for
self-expression, while written history should not.
The artist must also be willing to allow emancipation of their artwork from their own grasp.
Inspiration and interpretation differs upon viewership, meaning creators must accept that participants (and opponents) of the revolution will construct their own meaning from their work.
I’ve struggled with this. Pouring so much of myself, my ideas, and my life into a project only for it to be interpreted in a way that I never intended. But like a parent, my seed isn’t mine to
command.
We artists provide the breath for a revolution. We keep it alive. We spread meaning and
unification. We create sources of refuge, rallying cries, and dialogue. We are the purveyors of a
truth held by many. We are the ones who wave the flags and beat the drums on the battlefield,
inspiring those on our side and striking fear in the other. Art protects this movement and makes
it accessible. So we must create, we must work because the revolution will die without us.