Picturing Politics 2008

For decades, if not centuries, people have lamented that journalism has become more concerned with entertainment than political commentary. Having suffered through the past two weeks of political coverage, I might be inclined to argue that contemporary journalism has become theatre; but then, I'm afraid that does the art and craft of theatre a disservice. Tonight, though, I was reminded that there is at least one medium where political commentary thrives: contemporary art.

I'm perfectly aware that there is "bad" contemporary art, and loads of it. Like bad art of antiquity, however, most of it will fade into oblivion and future generations will be forced to create their own objets d'banality. But thankfully there is an enormous amount of contemporary art that does precisely what art is meant to do - transport one out of his routine context and, in so doing, expand one's perspective on the world we live in.

I just returned from a reception at the Arlington Arts Center for their exhibition, Picturing Politics 2008. I went primarily to support a friend who has some pieces in the exhibit, but I left wanting to evangelize for a number of the artists represented.

Each of the pieces in the exhibit confronted contemporary political questions facing our society. There were a number of photographs dealing with war and resistance. Of particular note were photographs by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

But the two pieces that left the greatest impression on me were an installation by José Ruiz, and, Season in Hell, a multi-media environment by Randall Packer and John Anderson.

The installation by José Ruiz includes his 2007 work Descendents of Ascension, which provides an insightful commentary on the lives of immigrant laborers in the United States. I actually entered the room without having read the plaque describing the piece, and was not sure what I was looking at at first. After standing and taking in the images for a few moments, I became acutely aware not just of the voice of the artist coming through the objects and space, but that I found myself transported out of an art space and into a world with which I was unfamiliar, yet all too familiar. I found myself facing the invisible world of immigrant labor that is so integral to my life of comfort and convenience; integral, yet almost always out of site, out of mind. This was my first introduction to Ruiz's art, and I will be on the lookout for future exhibits.

The other exhibit that had a great effect on me was Season in Hell. I realized I had seen a part of this exhibit once before, but in a completely different context it did not make the same impression. The exhibit I saw this evening was perfect.

Season in Hell is a multi-media environment made up largely of digital prints and sound. The work is a stark view of the future-present examining the role of art, censorship, authoritarianism, and resistance. I was transported from Washington, DC through the Bible Belt, down to a southern Louisiana swamp, and to the graveyard of American civilization. I traveled each stage as though in trance, and while the artists present a bleak future-present for our society, I could not help leaving with a sense of hope and possiblity, a faith that I was not alone, but part of a vast underground conspiracy of cultural-political insurgents.

And so, while the Republican Vice Presidential nominee refuses to speak to reporters except in carefully controlled political theatre, it was refreshing and inspiring to spend an evening in a venue that openly confronted today's political environment. The exhibit runs through September 27, so if you are in the DC area, I highly recommend making it a point to attend.

Also, I would be remiss if I did not give a warm thank you and congratulations to Rex Weil for curating this exhibit, which is excellent in every respect.