art as resistance
I have never specifically thought of my art as political in its content. There’s a general love for the natural world that could be seen as environmentalist, but beyond that, there’s not a lot of depth to the meaning in my pieces. They’re very representational, I see something, I paint it. I don’t do abstract work, and I don’t do symbolic meanings in my work. I see a mountain, I paint it. But one thing I have said consistently is, “I’m not a beige core girly.” When I’ve said this in the past, it’s been in response to the shock that old ladies have at how bright my color choices can be. I said it light heartedly, but I really meant it. I do not like beige and neutral toned art.
I grew up on military bases where every single building was a specific shade of tan with a specific shade of brown as the trim. Every Air Force base in the entire world has the same exact tan and brown color palette for every. single. building. Not to mention, being surrounded by military uniforms and the monotony that came along with it. I haven’t spent significant time on a military base in nearly a decade, but I still can’t wear or appreciate camouflage being part of the general fashion world. Growing up in this bland and uniform environment as a theater kid and an art student, pushed me towards bright colors for as long as I can recall. I wanted to paint my room aqua blue with rainbow circles, and I did. I collected colorful pens and paints and used them often. I explored every type of self expression I could get my hands on and almost never reached for a neutral tone in the process. My bedroom and my wardrobe were overflowing with colors, especially blues and greens, even as my outside world was constantly dulled. And that hasn’t changed.
My way of expressing my love for color has shifted, as I do love an all black outfit, but it hasn’t gone away. My paintings and belongings always lean towards brightness. Even an intentionally dark piece is layered with blues and purples to give depth to the shadows. My home is filled with art and plants, patterns and colors and textures. I am, quite simply, not a beige core girly, and I never have been.
The point of all this back story and self aggrandizing is that I hate neutrals, and I hate beige, and I hate uniformity. And I have started to learn about the explicit connections between color control and fascism and I can’t help but think that maybe my art is political afterall. Fascism relies on uniformity, on muting people into numbers and tools of empire. I have long held a distaste for the military industrial complex, but only through learning about the aesthetic choices of fascism have I started to piece together that the tan and brown trim buildings lean themselves towards muting people and their environment as a tool of control. Sure, it may also be a budget thing; easier to get 2 custom colors mass produced than to hire local artists in the countries you set up bases in. But I can’t help but think there’s an underlying intention of control, of making people behave how you want because you’re able to control their environment just enough for them to feel comfortable doing what they’re told.
And I see this outside of the military industrial complex too. I see it in the cement and glass buildings being built instead of textured, unique, creative buildings. I see it in art history. As fascism and control rise, the architecture shifts to brutalism. As freedom is sought and individual creativity is highlighted, you see art deco, you see mid-century modern, you see movements of artists pushing back all along.
In the rise of control, I think it’s a creative responsibility to be different, to add color and shape and dimension. To push yourself and your community to act differently. To show up with what you actually love, not just what is trending. Whether that is the art you decorate your house or your body with, the importance of finding and leaning into the personal is so important, now just as it’s ever been. If we want to protect our communities from falling to the control of those in power, we can’t just keep going with the status quo. They want us to be uniform, beige, and uninteresting. We must push back. Be bold, be bright, and be brave. And if you are a person of privilege, be even bolder and even braver because we must protect the people in our community who can’t risk standing out more.
Your art is going to be political regardless, it’s up to you to decide how.
