Agitprop
Destiny Wilson
Art is a universal medium encompassing a diverse array of genres, eras, and more. It communicates with audiences on multiple levels, including political, emotional, and beyond. In this essay, I will explore the genre of agitprop art, focusing particularly on its role during the Black Arts Movement. I will discuss its utilization and highlight three influential artists who have captured my attention: David Hammons, Howardena Pindell, and Kara Walker. Before examining the contributions of these artists, it is essential to understand the concept of agitprop. The term ‘agitprop’ emerged in Soviet Russia in 1938 as a contraction of ‘agitatsiya propaganda,’ which translates to ‘agitation and propaganda.’[1]
THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT
The Black Arts Movement emerged during the 1960s as a cultural, social, and artistic movement. The movement’s main goal was celebrating African American culture, identity, and heritage. The movement also sought to empower the Black community during racial and political tension in the country. Art in the Black Arts Movement combined the look of Pop Art with images of civil unrest and textile patterns from Africa to create pictures of civil unrest within the black community.[2] Many art groups, like Spiral, AfriCOBRA, Weusi, and more, were formed during this time. At a time when there was a lack of attention, these groups had goals of protesting the social and civil injustice happening at the time, integrating museum spaces, and bringing art to those communities of less fortune.[3]
The Black Arts Movement is an integral part of African American art history. As stated by Larry Neal in his Drama Review, ‘It envisions an art that speaks directly to the needs and aspirations of Black America.’[4] Going back to agitprop, this type of art is vital to achieving what Neal is talking about. The point of agitprop art is to get a point across, a point that says, ‘We are here, we will continue to fight, and we will not be silent.’ The movement gave a voice to those without one. It allowed for political activism and artistic expression and increased community involvement. I would even go as far as to say it also led to more recognition for Black artists at a time when recognition was few or even nonexistent.
THE BIG THREE
As stated above, I believe that the Black Arts Movement brought recognition to many artists and maybe even shone more light on artists who were already active at the time. For this portion of my essay, I would like to talk about the three artists I have found most interesting. David Hammons, Howardena Pindell, and Kara Walker all have one thing in common: they make art to gauge a reaction from the viewer. From the use of their blood (Pindell), hair (Hammons), and other unconventional art tools, these three shock, sometimes horrify, and provoke their intended audiences with their pieces.[5] While their art is different, each artist has their way of showcasing the injustices and struggles, and sometimes even play into the stereotypes of being Black through their visual storytelling to engage the viewer.
The first artist I will be talking about is David Hammons. Hammons is an American sculptor, printmaker, and performance and installation artist. He was born in 1943 to a single mother and was the youngest of ten kids. Hammons ironically hated art growing up, having never taken it in school. Despite this, he became a much-revered artist, making thought-provoking art showcasing challenging subject matter. The subject matter of Hammons’s work has changed throughout his career, but I would say some of his best have political undertones to them. In 1988, when asked if his work is political in an interview with Kellie Jones of ART PAPERS, Hammons responded, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know what my art is.’[6] Although this interview took place in 1988, years before, during the 70s, Hammons’s art was very much political; I would say it was hard for his work not to be political, considering he made most of his works during the Watts Riots.
After the Civil Rights Movement and during times of constant rebellion from the Black community, Hammons created a multitude of body prints depicting Black men beaten, gagged, and sometimes mutilated. Hammons’s goal during this time was to develop culturally relevant art. For example, in Injustice Case (1970), he uses his body to represent former Black Panther Party leader Bobby G. Seale. Seale was bound and gagged in a courtroom during a highly televised trial at the time. In the artwork, Hammons uses an American flag as a border. I see this as a way to symbolize how the Black man is treated in this country. The man, bound and gagged, is crumbling under the weight of the oppression he is faced with every day.
David Hammons, Injustice Case (1970)
The next artist I will be discussing is Howardena Pindell. Pindell is an American artist, educator, and curator. She is known for her mixed media pieces addressing the interconnected issues of feminism, racism, violence, slavery, and more. Pindell’s subjects were based on herself in some artworks. In her mixed media collage titled Water / Ancestors / Middle Passage / Family Ghosts (1988), Pindell explores the silence left behind due to the legacy of slavery.[7] In this painting, we are given an aerial view of a black woman floating in what appears to be water. Fragments of photos, random body parts, and a diagram of a slave ship surround the woman who resembles Pindell. The message behind this work is to tell the untold stories of enslaved women during the slave trade. Historically, the stories of women, specifically Black women, have been swept under the rug, much thought never being given to them. Pindell’s mission is to change that, bringing a voice to those who have been lost and silenced. This work memorializes those women whose stories did not have a chance to be told.
Howardena Pindell, Water / Ancestors / Middle Passage / Family Ghosts (1988)
The final artist I will examine is Kara Walker, the youngest of the three. Walker is an American contemporary artist. She mainly uses silhouettes in her work, exploring race, gender, violence, sexuality, and identity. Out of the three artists I have chosen, Walker is undoubtedly the most controversial. Walker pulls no punches with her artwork, refusing to make easily digestible art. For example, she is often vilified by older African American artists like Pindell. They find her art to be offensive and degrading. Pindell criticizes artists like Walker, saying that they focus on racial stereotypes to cater to white audiences and are selling out.[8] I see why Pindell feels this way, considering that Walker typically plays into racial stereotypes such as the mammy and others. Her art is more graphic than that of the other artists mentioned before. Her job as an artist is to make you as uncomfortable as possible when viewing her work. She wants to face the viewer with the harsh realities of life for enslaved people during slavery. However, she does this in a way that seems almost demeaning due to playing into stereotypes. Regardless, she is a talented artist who is committed to unearthing the visual legacies of slavery and does so effectively.
CONCLUSION
David Hammons, Howardena Pindell, and Kara Walker are some of the most important and influential artists who create agitprop art. These three create art with serious messages of dealing with the struggles of being Black and giving a voice to those without one. Though only two of my artists were active during the Black Arts Movement, their art played a role during the movement. The significance of African American art history is huge. Learning about artists who look like me is important to me and to any other Black students in the art scene. Seeing art made by Black people for Black people is uplifting. It gives a sense of community and lets the community know that we are seen, and our voices are heard. This talented community, even when faced with adversity, can create beautiful, meaningful pieces of art for everyone to enjoy.
[1] Taegan. “Agitprop - Political Dictionary.” In Political Dictionary, October 1, 2023. https://politicaldictionary.com/words/agitprop/. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, agitprop refers to the dissemination of strong political ideas through art, books, and other mediums.
[2] “Chapter Summary,” n.d. https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199995394/ch10/summary/.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Larry Neal, “The Black Arts Movement Drama Review Summer 1968.” National Humanities Center, n.d.
[5] Bernier, Celeste-Marie, and British Association for American Studies. African American Visual Arts. BAAS Paperbacks. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008.
[6] Intern. “Interview: David Hammons - Art Papers.” Art Papers, July 15, 2020. https://www.artpapers.org/interview-david-hammons/.
[7] Bernier, Celeste-Marie, and British Association for American Studies. African American Visual Arts. BAAS Paperbacks. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008.
[8] Bernier, Celeste-Marie, and British Association for American Studies. African American Visual Arts. BAAS Paperbacks. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008.
References:
‘Agitprop,’ n.d. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/agitprop#google_vignette.
Bernier, Celeste-Marie, and British Association for American Studies. African American Visual Arts. BAAS Paperbacks. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008. https://search-ebscohost-com.ecnhts-proxy.jsums.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xn a&AN=258115&site=ehost-live
‘Chapter Summary,’ n.d. https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199995394/ch10/summary/.
Intern. ‘Interview: David Hammons - Art Papers.’ Art Papers, July 15, 2020. https://www.artpapers.org/interview-david-hammons/.
‘Larry Neal The Black Arts Movement Drama Review Summer 1968.’ National Humanities Center, n.d.
Taegan. ‘Agitprop - Political Dictionary.’ In Political Dictionary, October 1, 2023. https://politicaldictionary.com/words/agitprop/.