Art is a Very Powerful Thing

Art is a very powerful thing. There is art all around us. We see it when we drive down the street, pick up a magazine, turn on the television, or open our internet browsers. Through their art artists can tell stories, instill ideas and values, and influence public opinion and perception. Designers and artists speak in a visual language, this visual language is universal and understood by all.

Berman says that “Designers have more power than they realize: their creativity fuels the most efficient (and most destructive) tools of deception in history.” Artist and designers have great power, and as everyone knows “With great power comes great responsibility.” A good design can change someone’s way of thinking and influence action. Advertisements can make people feel and act certain ways. Designers can set social trends. They decide what people should and should not buy or pay attention to. We are a species of consumption. We live in a society where one’s possessions and ability to purchase are associated with power and prestige. Commercial ads tell consumers what shoes to wear, cars to drive, and music to listen to.

A community is about equality, unity, and the common good. It is not about dominance, control, power, or prestige. If designers create ads that tell consumers that they have to have a certain pair of shoes, drive a certain kind of car, or listen to a certain style of music, than the community will become divided. It will be divided between those individuals that respond to those ads, and those individuals that do not. Designers and artists should use their skill and talents to unite people, not divide them.

Art is a very powerful thing. Visual language is something that can unite. Berman says “the same design that fuels over consumption also holds the power to repair the world.” Artists and designers can address issues such as equal rights, global warming, and universal healthcare and important statements can be made. Berman tells us that “We live in an unprecedented technological age, where we can each leave a larger legacy by propagating our best ideas than by propagating our chromosomes.” It is up to the individual artist or designer to decide what they will do. Divide, or unite? What kind of legacy will they leave?