As the 2024 U.S. presidential race intensifies, art remains a powerful tool for political activists. From protest posters to public installations, art shapes the conversation and challenges the status quo. But how exactly does art influence social change, and what role does it play in a deeply divided nation? In today’s podcast episode, curator Karen Fiorito joins us to discuss Indivisible, an annual exhibition confronting our most pressing social issues with provocative, politically inclined artwork. Carol A. Wells, founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG), joins Karen to discuss the history of political art and its capacity for unification and social change.
This episode is a treasure trove of insights and stories that will deepen your understanding of the power of art in activism and politics. Karen shares the challenges of curating such a timely exhibition, offering unique insights into key pieces like “The Fine Line” by Mary Ann Sadowski, which tackles gun violence. Carol, with her decades of experience in political activism, offers fascinating stories about the power of posters in movements like Occupy Wall Street, explaining how political art can cut through the noise to inspire action. Together, they examine the fine line between political art and propaganda, exploring art's critical role in shaping public consciousness. You don’t want to miss Karen and Carol’s conversation if you're passionate about the intersection of art, activism, and politics.
Indivisible 2024
Indivisible 2024 will feature some of the most exciting contemporary political artists in the Los Angeles area, legendary artist-activists, and collectives from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics. The exhibition explores our fragile democracy, the policy issues that unite and divide us, and the urgency of our current political dilemma. Some themes in this exhibition include reproductive rights, immigration, the climate crisis, gun violence, healthcare, equality, justice, civil rights, and freedom of expression. Each featured artist brings their unique perspective and voice to these issues and acts as a positive catalyst for civil discourse through their art. Featured artists include Barbara Kruger, Barbara Carrasco, Malaquías Montoya, Robbie Conal, Guerrilla Girls, Guillermo Bert, Winston Smith, Gee Vaucher, Marianne Sadowski, Lilli Muller, Nguyen Ly, The Qwiett, Wendy Murray, Curtis Bartone, and Karen Fiorito. Indivisible 2024 runs through Oct. 3, 2024, at TAG Gallery in Los Angeles. For more information, please visit Indivisible’s website here.
Quotes From This Episode
“Artists are always ahead of the game. Artists and activists are different sides of the same piece of paper.” — Carol A. Wells [0:20:46]
“I was always political as an artist, but doing street art was because of that necessity of, ‘No gallery is going to show this work,’ so I'm just going to put it up on the street and see how it goes.” — Karen Fiorito [0:22:51]
“All art is political. Not all art is overtly political, but all art is political.” — Carol A. Wells [0:31:17]
“Democracy is about participation. When it comes down to it, we have to participate in our democracy for it to be a democracy, or it's not a democracy. Then you're just handing out all your power and control to somebody else and letting them dictate and decide your future.” — Karen Fiorito [0:53:03]
“We need joy, and art can bring us joy, but we also need education, and art can bring us education. We also need activism, and art can inspire us to be activists. The role of art is so powerful.” — Carol A. Wells [0:56:43]
About Karen Fiorito
Karen Fiorito is an activist, artist, and curator residing in Southern California. Her artwork has been exhibited internationally and featured in major publications such as Art in America, Hyperallergic, Art Forum, and ArtNews and in such books as American Women Artists in Wartime, Paper Politics: Socially Engaged Printmaking Today, and The Design of Dissent. Fiorito has received grants from Change, Inc., the Puffin Foundation, the Pollination Project, A Well Fed World, and LUSH Cosmetics for her public art projects, including the billboard campaign “Got Drought?” which toured from 2015 - 2021. She has curated many art exhibitions, including Evolution/Revolution: The Interconnectedness of All Beings (2011), Indivisible: United We Stand, Divided We Fall (2020) and The Absent Referent (2022). Her prints are in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the U.S. Forest Service, the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, and Self Help Graphics. She is the president of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society (LAPS) and is a member of the California Society of Printmakers (CSP) and the Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA). She is a board member at The Artists Gallery (TAG).
About Carol A. Wells
Carol Wells earned her bachelor’s in history and master’s in art history at UCLA. She taught the history of art and architecture for thirteen years at California State University, Fullerton. Wells has published numerous articles and catalog essays on political poster art and has produced over 100 political poster exhibitions since 1981.