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[–]alladd 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

All art is political, because it reflects someone's personal view of the world - it shows what they think is worth seeing, which is by definition political - the art of the possible, after all.

That concept isn't up for debate. It's just misunderstood by people who think "political" means one specific thing which is actually just a subset of politics.

[–]r2d2_21 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

it shows what they think is worth seeing, which is by definition political

I'm not sure where this definition of “political” is coming from. In all dictionaries I can find online, the definition of “political” always refers to the government one way or another. Me deciding to draw an apple instead a banana doesn't involve the government at all.

[–]alladd 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

political

"Politics (from Greek: Πολιτικά, politiká, 'affairs of the cities') is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status."

Art is public and by nature of showing one viewpoint instigates a political position - i.e. it holds potential political power as a topic for debate that may change relationships of power, status, etc. with each other and the world.

Even a cave painting is political, because it's a guy saying "I'm the one with spears who catches and eats the bull". It's establishing a power relationship, a potential form of human organization, via crude art.