Tuesday March 18, 2014

The New Freedom

Art is the new freedom. Freedom is the new art. Art and freedom. Freedom and art. Art through freedom. Freedom through art. Art by freedom. Freedom by art. Art with freedom. Freedom with art.  You get it? Art is the new synonym for freedom.

It is creativity that propels the world forward. Freedom in thought is linked to art. Creativity is art. It is art that propels the world forward. Young people, let’s not lie to ourselves. It is only us who can create jobs for us.  Job creation is our task to carry out. This can only be done by being creative, free and artistic. Art in this sense does not refer to the mainstream interpretation of the word art but any form of ingenuity, skill and thought process that will generate a new service, commodity or process that will make life easier, better and more comfortable.

The beauty of art in this world right now, is that no one has the grounds to tell you that what you think or do as art yourself  art is NOT ART ENOUGH!

With technology and the changing times, being an artist has totally been redefined. The concept of "art" has been expanded and stretched to limits that were not imagined say a couple of decades ago. This redefinition of art that I say here is interesting in the manner that now, in this age, it is even harder to describe what is NOT artistic. Art is growing, mutating, and multiplying in speeds and dimensions that do not need the approval of anyone or any institution. Art is free. Art is the new freedom. And this freedom is working for people who are employing it well in all sectors of the world economy from art itself, politics, food and agriculture, education, economics, design, hospitality, Medicare, bla bla bla. Freedom is the new art.

People who exude some sense of freedom in how they dress, talk, walk, and generally do what they specialize in are the new artists of this generation. And they do not need the approval of any “official” or “certifying body” to be free in that sense (to be artists in that sense). With networking and communication made easier and faster by the internet and other technological progressions, combining ideas to come up with a more refined, more aesthetic art piece or product has been made easier.

And as the world is moving forward, everyone wants to be comfortable with what they will have to do each and every day say for the rest of their lives. People want to be free with what they have to do for themselves and for others. This freedom comes out when people want to accomplish tasks at their workplaces in their own time, with their own personal style and with their own kind of vocabulary for example. People want to be free up to the extents that they can be free. We can’t be free with how we pay our taxes, we can’t be free with how we get sick, and we can’t be free with how we sign bank documents for example. There is some restriction up to that point. But you will notice that in areas where we can achieve some sense of freedom by ourselves, we all rush to that. In areas where we can be free with our minds and bodies, we won’t hesitate to try getting that freedom.

In people’s houses for example, no matter how poor or affluent they are, you will notice a certain sense of artistic effort towards the placement of furniture, electronics and other items for example. The decorations, designs and choice of pillows for example will hint towards a certain category of preference of aesthetics: either conservative or liberal.  People are also artistic in the house in the sense that they are free with how they place things around and how they think their houses will be more appealing if a table was placed in the center of the sitting room or close to the wall for example.

How people dress: If you want to see how creative and artistic people can be with how they dress, try finding them during the weekend when they are not reporting to work (when they are not restricted). Despite the range in pricing of the clothes that someone will have worn, you will get the idea that they are free and were attempting to achieve a certain look. And that is art.

What normal career people do when not in work or during breaks between 8 to 5: I personally have a friend who is a court clerk and also does excellent poetry by the sides. He tells me he enjoys poetry and can do it without expecting any financial gain from it. And there are lots of other people who enjoy their moments of freedom by being artistic.

In a world where governments and other institutions want some form of conformity and restricted action from you, try and be free in your own time. Be artistic during those moments.

With that said. Have a look at some of these artistic images that have captured my attention to some extent. These images communicate a certain interpretation of the concept freedom in a not so obvious way. Feel free to post other images that you thunk communicate the same message in the comments section.

This photo conveys the message that the feminine gender can also be unexpectedly courageous in the face of  "danger".Note the hands akimbo pose.

This image was inspired by Kenya's Afro-electric band Just A Band's song Usinibore

South African controversial artist Kendell Geers' facial work titled Fuck Face .1989