Whether art is left-wing or right-wing is a subject that has captivated experts, who for years have been searching for an explanation for this idea.
Can art be apolitical?
The answer is clear: no. Because each artistic expression reflected the ideology of the author and the socio-cultural historical moment in which it was created, as already mentioned in part I of this section.
However, there is no truth about whether art is left-wing or right-wing, since expressing a thought or a reality does not necessarily place it on one side or the other of this political divide.
It is true that art has almost always expressed itself in favour of a just, supportive, poverty-free and progressive society (the idea of which is more of the political left than of the right). But this does not mean that artistic creations need political positions to be realised. In fact, they are born of freedom, of sensitivity, of the creative capacity to understand, interpret and represent the world and society.
Let’s look at some movements that have expressed their ideas according to the reality in which they were created and see if we can really say that art is left-wing or right-wing.
Modernism
This artistic movement was born at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, with the intention of creating a young, free and modern art, which broke with the dominant styles of the time. It sought progress, the future, the “new”, and to achieve this, it was necessary to put an end to the doctrines of previous periods and create its own standards.
Futurism
Founded in Italy by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, this artistic movement was interested in danger, rebellion and aggressiveness. It stood out for its exaltation of the sensual, the national and the warlike, and its eagerness to combat moralism, feminism and all opportunistic cowardice (as its creator writes in “The Futurist Manifesto”).
Abstract Expressionism
Developed in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, whose violent and horrific events prompted artists to express their questioning of human morality through their work. This resulted in works that reflected the wrenching pain and uncertainty felt by the society of that devastating time.
The artist, disenchanted by the political and social context, turned inward and abandoned the idea of collectivism and focused on the individual.
Pop Art
It arose thanks to the splendour of the capitalism of the time, in fact it is considered to be one of the artistic movements with the most political character. Rapid consumerism, technology, fashions, democracy, mass production, the superficial, the impersonal, all can be seen in its works. Pop Art no longer imitated life, but life imitated art.
Conclusions
As we can see, Modernism and Abstract Expressionism can be considered movements that opposed conservative ideologies. Futurism and Pop Art, on the other hand, found in a traditionalist context, their way of being to fit in with that kind of ideology. In this way, we can say that it is impossible to determine whether art is left-wing or right-wing, since beyond the thought they reflect, it will depend on the historical context in which they were born.
