In Defense Of Art

I have a bone to pick with those who claim Tea Partiers are racist. These smear mongers use the above art as their prime example. They claim the poster is racist but never explain how so. Racist to whom? Is it racist in the mind of the creator of this art? Perhaps? Perhaps not? Does this art provoke discussions and thinking about Obama and the meaning of socialism? Oh yes - BIG TIME!

The poster is from a Batman movie villain known as the Joker with the same smile make-up. Was the movie plugging racism? No that's nonsense. If anything the villain was all deception and violence. Has Obama employed deception and violence? Most certainly on numerous occasions but I drone on.

My main point, from an artist's perspective, is art does not have a meaning set in stone - unless it's a sculpture of course. Art is always interpreted individually but usually misinterpreted by the group with a bit of help from those with agendas. Throughout the history of mankind artistic depictions have been forbidden. Many were murdered for their art. First the taboo art is labeled. The art is claimed to show racism, blasphemy or pedophilia perhaps. The artist is dragged before the inquisitor to explain himself and the people forbidden to see, reproduce or transfer the art and with this ban the ideas that would have been discussed. Even the art showing Obama with a bone in his nose I would not ban or restrict. Why? Because I believe it is in bad taste and depicts a colonial racist mentality that needs to be discussed. That's what people are suppose to do with art - talk amongst themselves about the subject.

Art is best discussed above ground out in the open rather than driven underground where the roots of hatred also lie in the darkness. And what did I think about this poster above? I thought it was a clever piece that correctly labeled Obama a socialist and that he was using trickery and deception. I had no racial thoughts about the art as was the case with the Bush version of the Joker poster. Deception and trickery are tactics employed by the powerful regardless of racial background.