NAME: _________________________________ DATE: ___________________ PERIOD:

_______________
REFLECTIVE WRITING
In Newsela yesterday, you read about the Afghani artists, Kabir Mokamel and the
Art Lords, who use art to help heal wounds of war. Today, read this short article
discussing whether art can make a difference.
While reading, annotate or talk to the text in order to increase your understanding.
Add 5-10 annotations. After reading, answer the critical thinking questions in your
composition books for our reflective writing.

DOES ART MAKE A DIFFERENCE? by Med-O

If art cannot change the world, it can help to
change the consciousness and drives of the
women and men who would change the world.
-Herbert Marcuse, The Aesthetic Dimension

ANNOTATIONS FOR TODAY

1. Box unknown words
2. Underline the main
idea/thesis
3. Star key details or quotes
4. Make notes in the margins

Do practices like song or dance or prayer or graffiti or telling fairy tales have any real
impact on stopping war or feeding people? Or are these symbolic gestures that function
mostly as a substitute for asserting real social power?
I feel intensely schizophrenic answering those questions. I feel hopeful when relying
solely on imagination, but hopeless when looking straight at the infrastructure of power.
For many artists, explaining or justifying art, however well intentioned, is simply playing
into the hands of the anti-art, anti-freedom forces which constantly attack the artistic
way of life.
I, however, think it is crucial to critically examine the role of art and the artist within a
pro-art, pro-freedom perspective. I believe in the practice of constructive criticism for
every aspect of life. Our greatest strength arises from the ability to deeply question and
debate the thorny issues, contradictions and ironies that confront those dedicated to a
life of cultural expression, insight, beauty, and social consciousness.
Even though I feel antagonistic toward Karl Marxs annoying phrase, Consciousness lags
behind the material conditions, it provides a counter-perspective and useful friction to
my strong belief in the power of the imagination and consciousness to shape social
reality. Todays global horror show could not possibly be maintained without a major
failure of popular imagination and will.
We are led by institutions and leaders that lack the basic sense of art, eros or
compassion necessary to handle the inevitable conflicts produced by society.
With no awareness for the art of conflict public life is subsumed by displays of police and
military force, security measures, drive-by shootings, fly-by bombings and a booming

prison industry as solutions to conflict. Our utter failure to create better solutions arises
from a collapse of collective imagination.
Ten years ago, in 848s first newsletter, I wrote, We are urban love warriors. Our calling
is the education of desire. We must fight for excesses of global justice and personal
flamboyance.
I am inspired by William Blake, who wanted his poetry to be both accessible and demand
an extension of our emotional and intellectual capacities. He believed that art possesses
a unique power to provoke progressive shifts of consciousness but only when it
engages the individual in a process of emotional and intellectual struggle to fully grasp
it.
I am also committed to the Situationist vision that, it is not a matter of putting poetry at
the service of revolution, but rather of putting revolution at the service of poetry. The
history of poetry is only a way of running away from the poetry of history, if we
understand by that phrase not the spectacular history of rulers but rather the history of
everyday life and its possible liberation.
To that end, Im most interested in art-making that is socially relevant, emotionally
engaging, complex, contradictory, unexpected and willing to commit the ultimate
economic crime that which seeks to avoid the cash transaction. These are the most
important ingredients artists and art lovers can mix to help create a freer, more just and
interesting world.
Med-O is a founder of CounterPULSE: A San Francisco Center for Cultural
Experimentation (formally, 848 Community Space), online at http://www.848.com/.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

Answer in your composition books in
complete, complex sentences. Continue
improving your thoughtful answers and
penmanship (neatness in writing) while
you reflect.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ART

Painting, drawing, illustrating, etc.
Ceramics, 3-D sculpting, glasswork, etc.
Spoken word, rap, poetry, songs, etc.
Storytelling, letterwriting, blogging, etc.
Acting, dancing, performing, etc.
Singing, playing and/or writing music,
etc.
Speech, movement, communication,
etc.

1. How do you think art can make a difference? Why?

2. Besides yesterday and todays articles, what other art have you seen or heard
being used to make a difference? Explain.

3. What art can you use to make a difference? Explain.