was omnipresent, like Augustus’ portraits. Under totalitarian rule, artists and designers hid truths and promoted ideologies in print. Their techniques were clever and persuasive. The Soviets used art to promote ideas of a new society and a new man. This propaganda was used to win over the intellectuals as well as the average man.
Similar to Augustus, Stalin stressed himself as the leader. When Stalin came to power, he sent the region into full communism and demanded more industrialization. Stalin controlled propaganda, and set up posters everywhere from factories, farms, public spaces, and schools. Most of Stalin’s propaganda used red and black colors and portrayed the Society Union as the victor of peace and justice. Anyone suspected of opposition was sent to camps or shot. Terror in art existed even until Stalin’s death in 1953.
But why did this happen? How did too different leaders more than a millennia apart build tyrannical empires and rule them with success? Jacqueline Adams holds the answer. Adams, a graduate of the University of …show more content…
In response to the question: “Can art today be a form of protest?” Matthew Biro says, “In many ways, the obvious answer is “yes.”” (Biro) Ai Weiwei, a contemporary artist, uses protest as a form of art. He resides in China as a critical activist towards the corruption in China. Unlike Augustus, who was born in to a wealthy equestrian estate, Ai Weiwei’s family was sent to a labor camp. Later, they lived in exile for sixteen years. His unfortunate early life in exile birthed a great deal of discontent and Ai Weiwei now works to expose corruption in his home country. His forms of protest include art installations and videos. In one of his videos from 2008, Ai Weiwei set up a citizen’s project to investigate an 8.0 earthquake that killed thousands, including over 5,000 school children. An article published in ArtAsiaPacific, a monthly art magazine,
Similar to Augustus, Stalin stressed himself as the leader. When Stalin came to power, he sent the region into full communism and demanded more industrialization. Stalin controlled propaganda, and set up posters everywhere from factories, farms, public spaces, and schools. Most of Stalin’s propaganda used red and black colors and portrayed the Society Union as the victor of peace and justice. Anyone suspected of opposition was sent to camps or shot. Terror in art existed even until Stalin’s death in 1953.
But why did this happen? How did too different leaders more than a millennia apart build tyrannical empires and rule them with success? Jacqueline Adams holds the answer. Adams, a graduate of the University of …show more content…
In response to the question: “Can art today be a form of protest?” Matthew Biro says, “In many ways, the obvious answer is “yes.”” (Biro) Ai Weiwei, a contemporary artist, uses protest as a form of art. He resides in China as a critical activist towards the corruption in China. Unlike Augustus, who was born in to a wealthy equestrian estate, Ai Weiwei’s family was sent to a labor camp. Later, they lived in exile for sixteen years. His unfortunate early life in exile birthed a great deal of discontent and Ai Weiwei now works to expose corruption in his home country. His forms of protest include art installations and videos. In one of his videos from 2008, Ai Weiwei set up a citizen’s project to investigate an 8.0 earthquake that killed thousands, including over 5,000 school children. An article published in ArtAsiaPacific, a monthly art magazine,