Art in a Time of Chaos

In the short run, perhaps all we can expect from artists is only what we have always expected. As once-solid certainties crumble, it may be enough to cultivate your own artistic garden – to do what you can as well as you can for as long as you can do it; to create alternative worlds that offer both temporary escapes and moments of insight; to open windows in the world that allow us to see outside it.

With the Trump era upon us, it’s the artists and writers who can remind us, in times of crisis or panic, that each one of us is more than just a vote, a statistic. Lives may be deformed by politics – and many certainly have been – but we are not, finally, the sum of our politicians. Throughout history, it has been hope for artistic work that expresses, for this time and place, as powerfully and eloquently as possible, what it is to be human. 1  

Margaret Atwood     

Some might interpret Atwood as advocating “internal exile,” 2 through, among other things, the cultivation of one’s own artistic garden. Only those in privileged positions can afford to stick their heads in the political sand right now, and their silence only helps to perpetuate the hegemony of the elitist corporatocracy. For those of us with little or no power, is “turning inward” only a matter of self-protection? Withdrawing from the social and/or political realities of society is delusional in the sense that the pernicious effects of an unfolding radical political environment will touch us all, eventually. 3  And yet, there is something to be said about preserving an important aspect of our humanity, which the arts, when allowed to develop in relative freedom are in a position to do. The theme of art as a humanizing force could not be more important today. The essential value of art as something that can remind us of our humanity cannot be underestimated, certainly as it relates to our political lives, but moreover as it relates to self-understanding as well as understanding others and the world, however tentative or incomplete that understanding might be. For many of us politics has become ever-more pressing in light of threats to democracy on various fronts, an urgency that would reframe almost everything in political terms. This reframing will likely also have an impact on art and artists in both positive and negative ways. We should not expect artists to simply respond with moral posturing or sermonizing through their art in response to the threats to democracy or the shortcomings or injustices of society, government or both. Art as propaganda, however well intentioned, might serve to inform or incite people in the short term, but it usually fails to offer a deeper or long-lasting understanding of ourselves, others and the world.

Art seems at its best when it suggests compatible or interrelated ways of being morally responsible to ourselves and others. This deeper sense of moral responsibility might also engender a deeper understanding of one’s political commitment as an artist, or even the ever-changing nature of politics. One can remain true to oneself as an artist and produce work that raises timely social or political issues, and many artists are able to balance these personal and collective needs. However, in times of social and/or political upheaval, this tightrope act becomes more and more precarious, more difficult to maintain. This balance requires openness to the social realities of the day and an ability to critically assess those realities. But most of all, certain principles must continue to guide the work that one does as an artist. The fundamental principle that art communicate with others seems inviolable, including an art viewing public that might be skeptical of the curatorial agendas of both public and private exhibition venues. Artists that share this skepticism are essential to both the needs of an art viewing public hungering for art that addresses their imaginations and their critical understanding of what makes for a democratic society. As members of a society under the threat of autocracy, artists, like all citizens, have a responsibility when it comes to defending the values that essentially make our society what it is. The challenge for many artists right now seems to involve balancing their creative work and lives against an urgently required participatory response to what is a serious attempt to dismantle our way of life.

Some artists make little distinction between their art and their political beliefs or activism, while others will interpret the defense of democratic values more broadly. In either case, the power of art will reside in its ability to fully engage people and make a positive contribution to their lives. Simply stated: Tyranny and injustice always demand resistance, and that resistance might take many forms, including “apolitical” art that refuses the aesthetic and/or socio-political dictates of corporate controlled art markets. Whatever form it takes, it surely must be invested in or imbued with the core values of our democracy. Those values as set forth in The Declaration of Independence are: “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Sadly, these values are being undermined or diminished in ways that the founders could scarcely imagine. We must resist this broad and systematic attack on our values, or we will surely become impoverished as a nation: merely a business empire (or oligarchy) built on inequality with no ideals, no creed other than the almighty dollar, with our democratic promise to the world fading into history. Throughout history resistance to tyranny and injustice has never been just a political matter, and in this sense, artists have often shown the way. And it is here that our core values can play a fundamental role. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must remain the guiding light: the focus of our resistance, its raison d’ etre in ways that will determine the course of our politics now and into the future. With regard to our core values, the depth of our resistance resides in our shared humanity. And it is precisely here that art has an enormous role to play in our lives.

The interpretation of each of these essential values will differ from one person to another, so any attempt to flesh out these terms, to substantiate them, will be limited by the experience and understanding of the individual making that effort. While these core values might mean something different for each of us, personal interpretations of Life, Liberty, and Happiness, are useful, even important, if for no other reason than being unique or individual expressions of these very same values. It is in this spirit that I offer the following brief and personal views on these core principles:    

Life is a very complex condition or state of being, encompassing all manner of creatures, all contributing something vital, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. All life is precious, in a moral sense, but also in the sense that everything is connected and that all living things, plants and animals alike, are interdependent. When we pay lip service to or ignore this reality, say, for political or economic expediency, we are putting all in jeopardy. For example, when the director of the Environmental Protection Agency - an organization that has a mandate to protect the health and welfare of us all - not only expresses skepticism about climate change, but as Oklahoma Attorney General once sued the agency he now heads more than a dozen times (largely on behalf of the fossil fuel industry), the health of our planet is at risk. Whether this is the result of blatant incompetence, or placing the economic interests of the few above all else, the reversal of policies designed to protect all of us is a serious threat. The elimination of safeguards that protect our environment amounts to an attack on life, including, of course, human life, although given our position as the dominant species, and the hubris this has spawned, we may not recognize this or that the danger that we face today is largely of our own making. Remaining blind to this reality by either our ignorance or misplaced priorities is tantamount to species suicide: a denial of life. But there are other ways of denying life as well, by either denying it to oneself or to others. Simply going through the motions, or moving through life without savoring its gifts or discovering its wonders is an enormous denial of life and one’s human potential. What I have in mind is living a qualitative life, and this, of course, also requires, among other things, freedom from want and fear, as FDR famously put it.4 To be open and curious about the world and others, including the myriad creatures that share our planet, is a prerequisite of being truly alive, or fully human. There is perhaps nothing as tragic as living an empty life, whether self-imposed or as the result of circumstances not entirely of our own making. Art, for those who recognize its unique value insofar as it’s an enterprise based upon openness and curiosity, may very well be indispensable to living a full life, certainly for the artist, but moreover for all those who desire something more than the daily routine. While art and life are not the same, art seems an essential component of life, something that can make our lives more meaningful.

Liberty or freedom is a complex and controversial concept. At this moment in our history many of us are either witnessing or experiencing a broad assault on freedom. This assault is directed at the freedom of the majority of Americans to the benefit of a minority, indeed, a small minority (essentially, those who have most of the wealth in America). To better understand what’s at stake, influential philosopher, Isaiah Berlin provides a critical distinction between negative freedom and positive freedom. Negative freedom is basically defined by the absence of external constraints in a formal sense; legal, moral, or political, presumably enabling individuals to act in any way they choose provided their actions do not impinge on the freedoms of others. When the actions of individuals harm others in some way society is justified in restricting those actions, usually through institutional measures. But when powerful people are able to subvert institutions for their own purposes and these restrictions are lifted or nullified freedom becomes the privilege of the few at the expense of the many. What is critical here is that those without real power who believe that they embrace personal freedom very often do not act in their own best interests, and thus might unknowingly forfeit their own freedoms as well as the freedoms of others. Misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda often play a role leading to, among other things, people voting and acting in ways that actually undermine their own autonomy and independence and eventually impact the positive freedoms of all but the powerful in society. Support for political officials who promise freedom and deliver the opposite in surreptitious ways (through cuts in entitlements, restrictions on voting, banning certain publications, and so forth) are some of the outcomes of losing substantive freedoms meant to be widely shared. We are certainly at liberty to vote for candidates of our choice (at least, for now), but in doing so we should pay attention to their actions and true motives and not turn our backs on those whom these elected officials disparage or oppress. In this sense, negative freedom and our ignorance, willful or otherwise, is interpersonal (or a relation between people); who we support politically and our actions, whether good or ill, always affect others. We might think that we are captains of our own ship but without recognizing the tides that tug at our collective vessel we are not truly free.

Positive freedom, on the other hand, entails the freedom of the individual or individuals to fulfill their potential through self-realization; to maintain a measure of personal autonomy, and be liberated from social pressures that would otherwise impede one’s self-realization and independence. This private or intrapersonal sense of freedom is, however, a double-edged sword: It’s essential to the full development of individuals in society, and yet can also become the basis for tyranny when the unethical or illegal actions of individuals or powerful classes of people with shared agendas, especially when supported or enforced by the state, override the interests of the majority. It is then that positive freedom claimed or forcibly exercised by a minority can become dangerous by threatening to destroy the cohesion or fabric of society. According to some, Berlin was fearful of the abuse of positive freedom:

[M]arching beneath the banner of (positive) freedom, government turns to tyranny, setting a particular goal for society; prioritizing a certain way of life for its citizens; deciding what they should desire with no regard for their actual desires. 5  

Gerrymandering, voter suppression, political corruption, politically driven judicial appointments, widespread media propaganda and other nefarious acts can be interpreted as stemming from the exercise of positive freedom by the few. In this case, the freedom of the ultrarich and powerful to squelch legislation and other essential social measures designed to protect the lives and livelihoods of the majority. 6

These two conceptions of Liberty are not mutually exclusive, insofar as any enduring exercise of freedom must include the limits that each conception places on the other. It is a matter of finding a balance, but the reactionary policy plans of the current administration and its forceful undertaking to dismantle if not destroy most of the political and economic safeguards that at the end of the day help ordinary citizens pursue their dreams and ambitions is a glaring example of how the unrestricted positive freedom of the few impacts the rest of us. Positive freedom, insofar as it relates to self-direction or individual autonomy is nevertheless essential to building a sense of self and independence, whether one is the head of a company, or a worker in that company, a quality, wherever it arises, that instills initiative and self-worth. Positive freedom, when balanced and exercised responsibly, is particularly important for artists and other creative types. All creative activity, even collaborative efforts, requires a certain amount of independence on the part of creators, otherwise creativity suffers. Creativity in collaborative situations arises, or if you will, culminates in the contributions of individuals. The interesting thing about creative people, be they artists, scientists, or whatever, is that the positive freedom that they exercise usually not only does no harm to others, but in fact, often contributes beneficially to society, by, for example, producing art that spiritually enriches people or medical advances that save lives. The great challenge for many of us in the Trump era involves safeguarding our dreams and ambitions while facing dwindling opportunities and resources as well as curtailment of our personal freedoms. However, creative people are a resilient lot, they have always had to be, so while maintaining the means to advance in one’s field will certainly be a challenge in the coming years, those with lasting ability will doubtless survive the worst effects of the unrestricted positive freedom of the powerful. Our spirit will see us through the darkest hours to come. But to what end? Speaking as an artist, this is where the deeper value of art comes in. I believe that freedom, certainly in a positive sense, enables art and is in turn enabled by art; a reciprocal process that makes art its own guarantor of freedom. The importance of art on this level seems crucial to any resistance to political tyranny and economic injustice.

Happiness means many things to many people and is always a matter of degree. The qualifier, the pursuit of happiness, is thus necessary. Some people are unhappy no matter what their situation while others are happy with the smallest of things. People can be mildly displeased with something or deeply depressed over a minor setback. So, happiness is also a very complex concept, but everyone should be entitled to the pursuit of happiness, whatever it might mean to him or her and to whatever extent it might be realized. Our society has a social contract that goes a long way toward allowing this through enacting, over the years, legislation that protects the rights and welfare of its citizenry. The 13th through 16th Amendments to the Constitution, Social Security, The G.I Bill, The Civil Rights Act, Medicare, The Affordable Care Act, to name just a few of the more important legislative acts forming this contract, have not only opened the door to happiness for generations of Americans but has also made our country stronger, a force for good in the world. Happiness is not easily defined, the point is, again, that all of our citizens should be entitled to a chance at happiness. No one in this great nation should have to suffer because they are denied basic human rights like good affordable health care, a good education, or a decent paying job, all the things that will free them to better realize their dreams and ambitions. This has long been an integral part of our promise as a democratic nation, and we must resist all those who would dismantle this covenant for personal gain.

I am happiest when making art and sharing the fruits of my work with others. For most artists finding happiness involves having a place to work and the time to be creative, as well as opportunities to exhibit their art and possibly make meaningful contributions to the culture. Artists need the support that private and public institutions can provide, as well as legislation that meets their needs. Unfortunately, due largely to a rapacious corporatocracy we have seen an erosion of federal, state, and local support for art and artists over the years, something that will no doubt continue and contribute to the spiritual poverty of this great nation. Yes, artists are resilient, many of us will somehow make art no matter what, but how many of us will have the opportunities and find the resources to share our work with like-minded others? Artists are not only happiest when working (often alone), but also when we are sharing the bounty of our creative endeavors with those who recognize its value, and not just in economic terms. And this happiness goes right to the heart of why we make art: The sense of freedom that our work confers on ourselves and others and the essential humanity that it promotes and safeguards. I believe that the founders recognized that freedom, however politically limited that notion was to them, was vital to both life and happiness. A life free from want and fear certainly contributes to a happier life; and a life full of hope and promise has the potential to bestow a sense of wonder and the curiosity that such reflection engenders. Ultimately, the power of art resides in its ability to realize, in a palpable and timely fashion, the underlying unity of our core values.  

2017/2024

1 Margaret Atwood, “What Art Under Trump?” The Nation Magazine, January 18, 2017.

2 This is a term used by Miriam Elder in a receent NYTimes Op-Ed piece: “Don’t Let Trump Drive You Into Internal Exile.” The New York Times, 12-1-24.

3 This revised essay was originally written in the early days of the first Trump administration in 2017. With fewer, if any guardrails to constrain the autocrat Trump, the damage to our freedoms and democracy might be far worse than it was during the first go around.

4  Franklin D. Roosevelt, “The Four Freedoms,” State of the Union address, January 6, 1941.

5  Ben Dupre, 50 philosophy ideas you really need to know, Quercus, “Positive and Negative Freedom,” 178.

6  Such actions may have played a role in the reelection of Donald Trump to the presidency in 2024. One thing seems certain, his regaining power will only exacerbate the social, political, and economic problems of the United States and create a great deal of chaos, very likely leading to the increased erosion of personal freedoms and democracy.