Art is often used to manufacture opinions & there are plenty of examples to drive this point home. There are multiple artworks which have been used as expressions of different ideologies for political gain.
One of the successful examples which are often discussed in the applied art forum is “the hammer and sickle”. The symbol represents the union of industrial workers & peasants & thus conveniently promotes Communism.
Likewise, a famous sculpture from the former USSR,(now in Russia) is “Worker and Kolkhoz Woman”. Designed by Vera Mukhina, It is a masterpiece of socialist realism. The stainless steel sculpture with the chrome-nickel finish was Soviet’s entry in the Paris World Fair in 1937. The gym-toned man & woman in the sculpture symbolize the eternal union of the working class & peasantry in Soviet Russia.
Closer home a 182-m statue of Vallabhbhai Patel is all set to dwarf the world’s tallest structures. It can be considered as a wonderful example of how art is being used to propagate the idea of Nationalism. The “Iron man of India” Vallabhai is known to play an important role in the unification of the country following independence from British rule. Besides nationalism, this work of art will go a long way in promoting an all-inclusive image of the BJP.More so,because Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a part of the Indian National Congress, its arch political rival.
Art is also used to keep regional aspirations alive.
Mumbai,the financial capital of India is also home to ethnic Maharashtrians. For locals,the subject of King Shivaji has facilitated tales of courage, valor & territorial integrity.
This reverence is akin to the respect people have for Subhash Chandra Bose in West Bengal. This in turn boosts social & regional political scenarios. To aid it, a 212m statue of King Shivaji has been planned in the Arabian sea. The statue had become a matter of a heated debate owing to escalating costs INR 4,000 crore which was later limited to INR 2,800 crore.
Now, If I talk about Capitalism,Mount Rushmore in Dakota features a 60-ft sculpture of heads of 4 US Presidents. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt & Abraham Lincoln. Post the inauguration of sculpture this marvel has attracted over 2 million visitors annually to South Dakota. Apart from being a successful tourist spot, It etches the idea of Capitalism in your mind since the US is known to be a capitalist nation.
In subsequent ages to come,I believe, the affair between art & politics will continue. Whether it will be a matter of convenience,no one knows!
I would love to conclude with a quote by Otto von Bismarck, “Politics is the art of the possible”. As long as possibilities remain,politics will exist & so will art.