Should Artists Address Social and Political Issues in Their Work?

Should artists address social and political issues in their work? Yes! I think that it is necessary for us to give physical form to things we think and feel strongly about, especially when it comes to social and political issues. We use art in our everyday lives for communicating information, day-to-day living, spiritual sustenance, personal expression, visual delight as well as for social and political purposes. Art can be used for communicating specific information. Art can make a strong statement, clearly understood by a broad spectrum of people and it is often used to impart information to both literate and non-literate people. We often use art as a medium to educate the illiterate and to enlighten the literate on social and political issues. Photography, film, and television have proven to be particularly useful for communicating political influence.

Art is used for personal expression. Through art, artists can reveal themselves so clearly that we feel we know them. Through artistic presentation, information often becomes more accessible and memorable than it would be through words alone. Many people in our society think the primary function of art is visual delight but let's not be fooled. Art that is visually attractive and well crafted can have a profound