Art as Social Practice

Written for Art Fundamentals 1107 | Seattle Pacific University

Both Carolina Miranda and Theaster Gates have explored and encountered the arts as a means of social practice. Miranda explores how the building of houses and centers in the middle of challenged cities is helping to expand social change and reflection, specifically in Houston and New York. These centers are set up by artists and used for performances, art workshops and exhibits, and seminars, among other things.

These buildings, which are usually only up temporarily, give a platform to show to the city and those who visit the history of one place and can in some ways be almost therapeutic. Theaster Gates uses the same idea in his neighborhood in Chicago by buying abandoned homes and buildings and turning them into workshops, studios, movie theaters and more to show the community’s history and bring the culture together. Gates notes that he started his art-driven career to become a potter and work with clay. He soon realized that it’s not the clay that particularly matters, but anything that can be shaped and formed. Come to find out, this could also mean buildings and people as well.

Art as social practice can come in all types of forms. They could be exhibits by artists during their residency or homes that stay put in a neighborhood as a symbol of its culture. This type of art doesn’t only require the passion to bring art to life, but also the passion to create change and to provoke serious change in a certain community. These projects, as many other artworks do, can take months or years to be able to create. Dedication, passion, and the desire for social change seem to be at the heart of the matter. The point of the art is for physical interaction.

There is more to these buildings than wandering around and pondering the meaning. Questioning followed by action often has to take place. Both Gates and Miranda testify to the power of art workshops and performances in these buildings and studios. All are welcome to come in participation and use what has been presented in a way to transform the community around them. Some people look at art just to see it at face value. This type of art is specifically for interaction and inspiration for the community. It is incredible at how response is used as a major factor in these events. Of course, all artists want their work to be recognized and talked about within the community and even the world. However, there can be so much more controversy, conversation, and transformation in this practice than in some other pieces. Art as an intent to change the world not only brings forth the love of art itself, but the love of people, the public, and even peace.

Social justice can be found at the center of these ideas, as well as a heart for people and making the world a little bit of a better place by bringing challenges to attention. In my own work, I of course want to be able to speak to people and provoke people to want to do more in the world around them. While I don’t see myself buying houses and setting up studios for my artwork, I do want to use these concepts in my career following my completion of my studies. I am an art minor because I want to be able to influence the world of communication not just by my words but by creation. I do want to be able to influence and change communities.

While I do not know exactly how this will look quite yet, I do believe that the work of Gates and those who Miranda write about can be an example for both motivation and the foundations of what it means to change the world. Being able to pour emotion and passion into my work will be a work in progress. I need to be able to pinpoint specific challenges I see in the world around me that I know others will relate to. In my time remaining here, I need to put those subjects into my work. This will need to be present not only in sketches but in my photography, video work, and definitely in my writing. All of these skills and passions need to be connected in bringing about some aspect of change and passion. Beginning these skills now can allow me to be able to thrive efficiently when I begin my career outside of university.

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