The power of the print

My interest lies in examining the significance of socially conscious art and more importantly examining the artists who have dedicated their lives and artistic careers to making a visual commentary on the corruption and injustice of their time. I am interested in the artists who have not only commented on corruption and injustice but used their art work to speak out about these issues and expose the political follies of their time to a wider audience by using powerful imagery within the graphic print medium. These are the artists who have developed the idea of the political print. Political printmaking involves the artist actively engaging in political and social issues around the world and exposing these issues to the public through the medium of print. While many artists and not only printmakers made works with political intent, printmaking had a special advantage. Due to its ease of access, low cost, fast reproduction and potential of illustrative expression there is no wonder why an ever increasing amount of artists and art activists began producing prints in order to share their views and expose the truth about war, violence, death and discrimination. I intend to examine the work of these artists and explore the impact socially conscious art has had on contemporary artists, discussing how they have been influenced by artists who in the past have used print as a means to comment on the atrocities of their time.