The advent of the world wide web (now commonly known as the internet) represented a turning point in the world of Chicanx art. In earlier decades, Chicanx artists used posters to spread their messages to the public, and they relied upon mail networks to communicate with and send their work to other artists. The internet provided more accessible methods of creating and distributing art, and Chicanx artists quickly took advantage of these changes. Claudia Zapata’s essay, “Chicanx Graphics in the Digital Age,” examines many of the new art forms that emerged during the digital age and how they honor older art forms.
I found Zapata’s assertion that digital forms of art have not replaced traditional forms like posters to be extremely important. Throughout the essay, Zapata illustrates how digital artists use social media and public websites to distribute pieces which speak to the Chicanx experience or support various causes. Lalo Alcaraz, for example, created a digital poster of Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the Parkland shooting, in solidarity with her fight for gun control. He posted it on his social media accounts and asked his followers to share the poster, print it, and even bring it to protests to raise awareness. Here, we see the legacy of Chicanx printmaking. The art of the political poster has not faded away, it has simply evolved. The importance of physical prints has also not dwindled. As Zapata points out, it would be impractical to bring large screens to protests, so it is still necessary to print out such posters.
In many ways, the digital medium enhances physical works of art. Augmented reality (AR) can be used to scan an artist’s piece, and then information about its subject or an animation then appear on one’s device. This increases the level of engagement an audience has with a work of art, and in the case of art which seeks to raise awareness of Chicanx struggles, history, or culture, this makes it even more effective.
No comments:
Post a Comment