Week 2: Question and Response

 Has technology impacted art activism? If so, in a positive or negative way? 

Art has always been a tool to create awareness in times of turmoil. Especially for the latinx community, who has always been a minority group fighting for basic rights. Art is used to express political views and fight injustices that hurt the minority community. With it all technology has impacted the art community in many ways both positively and negatively. One could argue that technology has harmed the honesty of activism because there is less physicality involved when making the art and its purity. Making a digital graphic and painting a mural are in comparison two very different tasks, however they both require labor and may have the same impact. In fact I would argue that digital art may have more of an impact in today's society than a mural. Art and artists have learned to adapt to today's environment and it seems that going digital is most convenient. A mural also would take much more work because it must get commissioned by the city and funds must be earned to create the mural which are usually very expensive. For instance, say there is a mural in LA’s most impacted freeway, not only does it add to the expressive art around the city but it will be seen by thousands of people daily who drive by the freeway. At the same time a digital copy of the mural can be uploaded online and reach millions of people in seconds. The internet is connected to the world so people from all over the world can have access to the mural and its message without having to drive through the streets of Los Angeles. While most art is turning digital in today's era, the importance of print and physical art is still equally as important in situations of activism such as a protest. Signs still need to be made and flags need to be raised. Another positive about art activism going digital is the creation of hashtags. The readings shares some, for example, #BlackLivesMatter, #guncontrolNOW, and #NeverAgain. Hashtags show the support from people around the world instantly on the same injustice, which would make it trend and at the end make a larger impact on society. This also makes any information that relates to solutions and updates on injustices at a fast pace and in one place.