What Is The Role Of An Artist?
To Ask Questions or To Answer Them?
The artist's role, according to Anton Chekhov, "is to ask questions, not answer them."
What question is Banksy asking in the above picture? For me, having lived in the USA for 25 years, it asks questions about the idea of America. Seemingly, core issues from 1776 ensured a so-called 'divine' constitution that provided escape and freedom from kingships and dictatorships. And yet the USA became the world's leader, not in supporting independence, but in deciding whose freedom they liked. If the US benefited financially, militarily, and politically, kingships and dictatorships were just fine, thank you very much. The question may be how is that possible with a vast country filled with good people. Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald may start that conversation for you. For those who do not know, the young girl at the center of the picture is from Vietnam. On June 8, 1972, Nick Ut took the now-famous "Napalm Girl" photo. It was credited with genuinely changing the world by giving innocent victims a face and prompting an end to the Vietnam War. Images do create conversations.
As a historian, I am often asked about definitive answers, as historians supposedly can look at the past and determine the truth. But, of course, that is not the case. Although a good historian may seek out all primary source materials and offer what they consider to be close to what happened and, sometimes, why, the truth is that they do not know the truth. We all do the best we can with the information we have, as well as recognize our own biases. Therefore, a great historian, like an artist, should leave us with as many questions as answers.
What questions and conversations do the following images ask? In other words, look, study, and enjoy the following images and as a good book, determine what you see and why. And then, begin an internal dialogue with yourself and let the conversation flow. Here's a tip. Do not automatically go to your default position. Instead, walk in someone else's shoes; you may be surprised at what you see and feel.
"Art is not what you see but what you make others see" — Edgar Degas.
© Stephen G. Arrowsmith 2022
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