Cruz, Francine Esther F.

05/29/2023
Arts 1 (C) Page 1 of 7

Unit 4A: Reflection Paper

"Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it," wrote Bertolt
Brecht, a German poet and playwright, in his preface, stating that art is a representation of
change. I, for certain, can affirm that this line resonated with how I first understood the
connection between art and ideology. Similar to how ideology denotes a group of deeply held
convictions that influence how we perceive, think, and behave in the world, art is a form of
expression that represents our ideas, beliefs, and social values. Ideology is metaphorically the
baking soda in the process of creating an artistic cake.

Our society's ideas might be polarizing or contentious in this day and age. Some of us
may prefer pineapple on pizza, and some may not. Some might believe in God, while others
classify themselves as agnostics or atheists. These are examples of ideologies we live by in our
day-to-day lives. We develop similar and opposing beliefs because we were conditioned to think
differently as well. Normally, Filipinos grow up in conservative households, limiting their
perspectives on controversial topics. On the flip side, some grew up in a more liberated
environment; hence, they might have been more aware of issues that are free from traditional
conventions. This goes without saying that one is above the other; I’m merely pointing out that
our condition of existence is a corresponding factor that influences the way we think as moral
beings.

Together, art and ideology are intertwined concepts that impact our lives. Not only are
they a reflection of our values, beliefs, hopes, fears, and struggles, but they also express
influence. Art does not only move us, the spectator, but also makes us move in a way. I’d like to
personify this through Spoliarium—a painting by
our very own Juan Luna as an entry to the Madrid
Art Exposition in May 1884. It stands for all the
Filipinos who lost their lives under Spanish
control and depicts hopelessness. The main
subject of Luna's artwork is the dead gladiators
that are being dragged by Roman soldiers. The
fact that this picture incited the Filipino people to
such a level of hatred that they rose against the
Spaniards at the time and gave their lives in
exchange for our independence and better lives
shows how art has the power to influence society. Juan Luna's method of awakening is thus
Spoliarium, which also serves as a metaphor for the oppression, ignorance, and blindness of the
Filipino people.

The element to move people into taking action resides in the fact that Juan Luna used
Spoliarium as a call for change at that time. However, I’d like to contradict this by stating that, in
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addition to the fact that art has the ability to change society, does it always have to adhere to
certain norms or viewpoints to bring about change? Is it necessary for Spoliarium to represent
oppression and despair as its ideological context to be relevant? What if Juan Luna only intended
to paint Spoliarium for the sake of clout or aestheticism, with no input whatsoever? Would he
have relayed the same meaning as he originally did? I believe that although context in art adds
meat and relevance to the artwork itself, a work of art made solely for the sake of clout or being
aesthetically pleasing can still be considered art, but only to a limited extent and only to people
who find artistic value in the mundane.

Marcel Duchamp produced what is undoubtedly the most brilliant and absurd artistic
achievement of the 20th century on April 9th, 1917, just over 100 years ago. In 1917, sculptor
Marcel Duchamp went into a plumbing store in New York City and chose a urinal from the
assortment of toilet supplies. This toilet is referred to as a
Bedfordshire-style toilet. When he returned to his workshop
with his treasured piece of porcelain, he turned it upside
down, signed it "R. Mutt," named it Fountain, and called it a
day. I bet renowned artists, like Pablo Picasso, Da Vinci, or
Juan Luna, would have crawled in their graves upon learning
about it—that it’s that easy to label or create art. The curators
of a huge exhibition of independent artists offered to accept
any work submitted as long as the submitter paid a small
membership fee when Duchamp initially submitted his
signed urinal. However, it was rejected by society for reasons
somewhat unclear; some argued it was plagiarized and
impolite. The Fountain met a quick end in the early 20s, and
only this single picture of it, by Alfred Stieglitz, survives.

But Duchamp's argument that it upended the whole nature of the art industry still stands
today. In order to convey to us the significance of Fountain, Greek collector Dimitri
Daskalopoulos bid over $2 million at an auction in 1997, at which it was not even the original
piece but only one of the 17 replicas of the urinal because, for Dimitri, it represents the origins of
contemporary art.

If I myself were to see this at a gallery, would I have considered it art or would I think,
"Am I a joke to you? Why would even curators display a premade object with no historical or
artistic value in it?" Well, I’d probably think the latter since it is a very peculiar thing to spot at a
gallery that is home to substantial art pieces. Returning to my second point, art can still change
societal ideas if it succeeds in challenging what defines art in the 20th century, as Duchamp did,
so long as there is no ideological framework. This is true even when art doesn't express a
particular viewpoint or give background information. I think it challenged the conventional
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framework or standard of art at the time, which transformed people, as opposed to an artwork as
vaguely provocative as a urinal.

Art serves as a vehicle for the social philosophy that underlies the dominant culture. As I
have mentioned earlier, art reflects our hopes and struggles while also demanding change from
the society it lives in. For instance, the art of the oppressed is a form of art that forces people
with privilege to look at themselves and gives marginalized people (i.e., people of color, women,
the LGBTQ+ community, indigenous people, etc.) a platform to dismantle oppression. What do I
mean by art still attached to the dominant culture? We know art has been an integral part of our
daily lives for centuries. It also reflects the culture that is currently in vogue and is often regarded
as the "typical" or "regular" way of living. The predominant culture in the United States may be
that of white, middle-class, Protestant people who are descended from northern Europe. While
here in the Philippines, what we deem is a straight (in terms of gender), fair-skinned, upper-class,
Roman Catholic Filipino (better if from Filipino-American bloodline).

I'll use the example of the arts, which have always been dominated by men. More often
than not, male artists' work was commissioned, displayed, promoted, and preserved. Female
painters' work has frequently been disregarded. The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is well known
for her use of a folk art aesthetic while getting inspiration from items from her upbringing. She
researched a variety of topics, including racism, class, gender, identity, and postcolonialism.
While still alive and residing in Detroit with her husband, the male artist Diego Rivera, Frida
Kahlo encountered marginalization on numerous occasions. Although Frida Kahlo was given the
opportunity to be interviewed, she was never given the chance to exhibit her pictures in any
exhibitions in Detroit.

Because of this, Frida Kahlo was viewed less as an artist and more as "Diego Rivera's
wife" by her peers and the general public. But compared to Rivera, Kahlo's work got more praise
from critics and the general public. The years with the highest popularity for Kahlo's art were the
1970s and 1990s. At the age of 47, she died in 1954. She is regarded as an inspiration for the
Chicano, LGBTQ+, and feminist movements. In the past, gender was suppressed and
underrepresented in the arts. We must acknowledge that despite advancements, there are still
groups, genders, and individuals who are oppressed, underrepresented, and prone to prejudice.
Although New York is the capital of the art world, it is estimated that between 76% and 96% of
the pieces on show there are the creations of male painters. We can observe that in the 21st
century, there is still a gender gap in the field of art. A prejudice that is rather common is
thinking about art in terms of prevailing social characteristics. For instance, social characteristics
like being "male" or "white" are prevalent in Western culture, especially in the United States.
The David statue, created by Michelangelo Buonarroti of Florence, Italy, one of the most
prominent and well-liked artists of the 14th century, is one of the most identifiable and
well-known sculptures in the entire world. People who contributed to the arts were
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predominately white and male due to their dominant social characteristics. They produced the
David sculpture.

Another expression of the art of the oppressed delved into the realm of music. An
example of this glossary’s ‘Upuan" Along with his incredible rap skills, Gloc 9 is highly known
for his rhymes that touch on contemporary social issues such as the oppression of LGBT people
in Sirena and brain drain in Wala Nang Natira. Upuan is a song that is rather straightforward in
what it wants to say. The topic is the gap between the rich and the poor. It is about how it came
about as a result of abuse and corruption by individuals in positions of authority. The political
establishment, which disregards the needs of the people, is being openly criticized in this.

Sabi pa nila ay dito mo rin matatagpuan

Ang tao na nagmamay-ari ng isang upuan

Na pag may pagkakatao’y pinag-aagawan

Kaya naman hindi niya pinakakawalan

Kung makikita ko lamang siya ay aking sisigawan

Chorus:

Kayo po na naka upo,

Subukan nyo namang tumayo,

At baka matanaw, at baka matanaw na nyo

Ang tunay na kalagayan ko

I want to emphasize two things in the sentences above. Upuan's characterization comes
first. Naturally, we are aware that this holds true for more than just seats. Politicians' seats serve
as a visual representation of their power. The upuan, or seat, can be viewed as a region. We learn
about political geography from the fact that humans are territorial by nature. The way we see
particular spaces as being more important or valuable than others, such as how the head of the
household sits at the head of the table at dinner, is one method to illustrate this. The song's
chorus and the line "Kung makikita ko lamang siya ay aking sisigawan" are what I want to call
attention to. The aforementioned examples are very clear in conveying the struggles of
marginalized minorities. Art used to criticize the society that marginalizes these people means
the artist is never detached from the culture or the class that dominates the society, which is its
oppressor. Both are always tied together because oppression has been a systemic issue that one
can only dismantle by starting within the system.
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Another point I’d like to make is that art can serve as a practice for imagining a better
society. The mind of an individual is boundless, moreso in an artist’s disposition, where one is
able to create artistic visions separate from reality. In this subconscious way of creating the
unreal, it then reveals the artist’s highest aspirations or longing for something eternal, so to speak
(i.e., salvation for Christians). Art can be a tool to imagine and liberate our humanity in ways not
represented in our current reality.

For instance, we have artworks on Utopia and Paradise, settings far removed from our
reality. The concept of paradise evokes a variety of images for many people. For some, it might
be the Garden of Eden, while for others, it might be the white-sand beaches of a tropical
paradise. However, the word "paradise" originally referred to the mythical Mount Olympus,
where Zeus, king of the gods, resided. Mount Olympus and the Greek myths were lost when
Christianity came, and paradise acquired a new significance. As a result, a fresh approach to
portraying paradise in art emerged during the Renaissance. This formula has always had an
impact on how we interpret paradise.

The finest example of this is perhaps Botticini's Assumption of the Virgin. In this panel
painting, the disciples are depicted huddling around Mary's lily-filled grave and staring in awe at
the nine layers of angels bearing witness to Jesus' blessing of Mary. It was purchased to serve as
the altarpiece for a church in Florence and is now on exhibit in the National Gallery in London.
Franz von Stuck's 1889 painting The Guardian of Paradise was his first commercial success. This
angel stands firmly and looks the viewer in the eyes while his gigantic aquiline wings stretch
beyond the canvas's edges. The dazzling light of Paradise shines behind him, illuminating walls
of flowers and flora. He is carrying an unusual staff/sword hybrid with a wavy blade that is thrust
away from his body.

These artworks represent the shift in portrayal of Paradise while mirroring the society at
that time—the Renaissance Period—up until today. So during the 14th–18th centuries, the
Church supported the arts vigorously. The art they produced leaned more on figures (i.e., angels,
heavenly circles, saints) that can be found in biblical scenes. This is why works like Adam and
Eve were a trend back then, and the Garden of Eden was visually considered a depiction of
Paradise. However, Utopia, or Paradise, has transformed since the Renaissance Period. We can
see this in this artwork by John Martin, called The Plains of Heaven, 1851.

Even though St. John the Divine's account

of the Last Judgment served as its scriptural basis,
Martin deviated from the customary heavenly
figures of heaven in its earlier centuries. Instead, he
chose to portray Paradise in its natural form in all its
glory, kind of like Mount Olympus. Hence, this is
proof that our ideology or our understanding of
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paradise has transcended as our social realities change century after century.

Art can exist without glorifying violence in order to engage with it. So, as I have cited
Spoliarium earlier as an example, we have seen that in order for Juan Luna to convey despair
about the deaths of our fellowmen, he had to incorporate chaos and barbarity between the
Spaniards and the Filipinos. While there are artworks that intentionally use depictions of
violence (i.e., wars, murder, slavery, robbery), artists can portray these depictions without
romanticizing violence but instead just expose them as they are. This is deemed to be the role of
ideology in political forms of art. They are meant to disturb the public by exposing the atrocities
in society. Art that is most ideological does not sugarcoat and remain subservient to the ruling
class; rather, it strives to reveal to the masses the gruesome flip side of reality.

Art has always been a powerful tool for shaping the world around us. It is not simply a
reflection of reality but rather a hammer that can shape it. Art has the ability to challenge our
perceptions and beliefs, provoke thought, and inspire action. Throughout history, art has been
used as a means of social commentary and political activism. Art can also shape our individual
experiences by providing us with new perspectives and ways of seeing the world. It can
challenge our assumptions and help us better understand ourselves and others. While art may not
always reflect reality in a literal sense, it has the power to shape it in profound ways. Whether
through social commentary or personal reflection, art is an essential tool for shaping our
understanding of the world around us.
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References:

Art in Need. (2021, June 9). A perspective on Juan Luna’s Spoliarium (1884) - Art in
Need - Medium. Medium; Medium.
https://artinneed.medium.com/the-very-large-canvas-portrays-more-than-just-the-combination-of
-oils-textures-and-colors-it-is-f0e7c7fef856#:~:text=Juan%20Luna's%20inspiration%20for%20t
he,as%20a%20basis%20of%20improvement.

Albert-László Barabási. (2018, December 4). The $2 Million Urinal: Why Hard Work
Doesn’t Cut It - Behavioral Scientist. Behavioral Scientist.
https://behavioralscientist.org/the-2-million-urinal-why-hard-work-doesnt-cut-it/

Paradise in paintings. (2019, March 3). The Eclectic Light Company; The Eclectic Light
Company. https://eclecticlight.co/2019/03/03/paradise-in-paintings/

Pearce, E. B., Hampton, J. N., Morelos, H., & Niemeyer, K. (2020). Art and Dominant

Culture. Pressbooks.pub; Linn-Benton Community College.

https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/families/chapter/art-and-dominant-culture/

‌ Marxists Internet Archive,

https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology.htm. Accessed 4 August
2020.