Episode 61: Politics, Activism, and Art

Art - is it just aesthetics? What purpose does it serve in our life? Cave paintings tell us that art has existed since the beginning of humankind. Artifacts found in the Blombos cave provide evidence of complex cognitive abilities of the humans who created them almost 100,000 years ago (Miyagawa et al. 2018). Art has been used by people to depict their everyday life throughout history. Not only do we use art to express our feelings, but also to communicate with others. Art, therefore, serves as a form of language. 

Art is also political. Throughout history art has been used to express grievances. During the countercultural movements of the 1960s people of the United States of America witnessed artists protesting various social and political issues through their work. Oklahoma’s own folk artist Woody Guthrie wrote several songs to promote awareness regarding inequality and social justice (Reuss 1970). This month on Amplified Oklahoma, we’re highlighting Richard Whitman, Shan Goshorn, and Edgar Heap of Birds, three Native artists from Oklahoma, as they describe the ways in which they have merged art with activism.