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Socio-political commentary through underground art |
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Written by Loyce Kareri
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Thursday, 13 March 2008 |
The Hip Hop group Public Enemy's front man ' Chuck D' identified rap as "the black CNN."
This brazen comment might elicit a chuckle in most of us but it is no secret that the seed of opposition is deeply ingrained in the artistic community. Perhaps one would dare to venture that art in itself is a rebellion against conformity and perceived prohibitive structures in a culture.
The definition of art is much contested. Philosophical debaters argue whether art can be defined since it is subjective, supposedly changing with the creation of each new piece. In a more earthly approach, art is simply the products of human creativity; an avenue of expression for thoughts, feelings, dreams, ideas, opinions etc. It encompasses various genre through fine, visual or performing arts.
Politics has can be defined as the acquisition, retention, and exercise of power. It then stands to reason that the collusion between any art form (let alone that of the uninhibited underground flavor) and politics can make for an extremely effusive vehicle for mobilization of the masses toward action.
Shunning the censorship and controlling tendons of commercial mainstream media, independent underground artists and artistes roam free, challenging the status quo through whatever unconventional means they desire.
Lowbrow and unorthodox artistic pieces have been known to chafe the sensibilities of the cosmopolitan elite yet amazingly move and inflame those who are like-minded, especially young precocious audiences and older ' anti-establishment' hardliners. It is this clandestine, ' rebel with a cause' connotation linked to the underground movement that makes it a powerful social commentator and communicator. Underground art reveals the true 'word on the street', what the masses truly feel but are either afraid or unmotivated to communicate.
Coded messages abound in art produced during various civic struggles around the world. True examples can be found in the famed anti-slavery songs of the African American underground railway, the anti-apartheid songs and political drama in Soweto schools, the haunting paintings by Jewish concentration camp artists or the hidden fighting techniques in Brazilian Capoiera dances.
It is at this unedited social level that, according to famed English writer Alan Moore, ".. the dreams of our culture can ferment and strange notions can play themselves out unrestricted. And sooner or later those ideas will percolate through into the .. awareness of the broad mass of the populace.." .
Music, theatrical productions, literal works or paintings and sculptures created in the Underground can be utilized as a veritable voice for communicating to the mainstream culture the political ideals of both the artists/artiste and their audiences.
Any governmental organization or administration would be remiss to ignore or dismiss the political rumblings of the underground for as history would serve, it was in these " silent noises" that Resistance movements were wrought.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 14 March 2008 )
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