What is the relationship between art and power ? Art has always been closely linked to power. First of all art can be described as literature, painting, drama, photography, music, cinema, architecture, sculptures, etc…In fact anything that expresses the artist’s feelings is recognized as art as long as someone appreciates it whereas power is defined as the ability to control people and events. For both topics money has a huge role to play in that it allows artists to earn a living through their artistic activity.
Art may be seen as a means of communication and influence intended to reinforce power but can also be an important counter-power with the ability to challenge what is commonly accepted or silenced. Street art is the expression of artists (such as Banksy) who raise awareness of social and political issues and at the same time they have an impact on the surroundings because they beautify public locations.
In his paintings entitled “Four Freedoms” Norman Rockwell got his inspiration from the president himself; in 1941 F.D. Roosevelt listed four basic and universal human rights in his speech to Congress: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from fear and freedom from want. In this case we may say that art served power. We shouldn’t forget that in its worst form propaganda may influence people’s opinion with biased information.
During WW1 advertising was used as a propaganda weapon to recruit and raise funds to support the war effort thanks to posters saying « Man, you are wanted ! » Here again art serves power to fight the enemy whereas nowadays advertising addresses the consumer society, yet is this different from propaganda ?
In the past, architecture was very representative of the leaders’ will to enhance their prestige and value within their empire; they had many castles or palaces built and nowadays powerful leaders or countries show their value through the building of huge skyscrapers (the Shard in London 2013) that are always higher.
Protest songs denounce controversial events such as U2’s “Bloody Sunday” to talk about the killing of thirteen people by the British Army in Ireland during a civil rights protest. American rap superstars recorded “Fight the Power” expressing their anger with white supremacy in music in the 1980’s, they didn’t hesitate to knock down one of America’s cultural icons by the name of Elvis Presley.
Literature and the film industry also play a great role in the spread of ideas either to back the existing power or to oppose it. With several types of power comes corruption which is often represented as a misuse of power. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the tragic story of a character seeking power for his own sake, and dealing with the consequences of his own ambition. In « The Hunger Games » films a totalitarian government uses its power to manipulate and mistreat its citizens.
