Accepting role as an artist?

[ndat]

Yes, it also shapes it, not only reflect it, just like you said. So that means it does play a role in shaping society.

Of course creative people shouldn’t focus only on social messages–that would get pretty boring, but it’s kinda of natural for us to depict our own moral standards and social values. For example, a mentally normal, healthy artist is not going to all of a sudden depict a series of brutal rape images for no reason–because that type of behavior is so far removed from his own values and morals. He might do a comic book about a psycho serial rapist–but if he’s even slightly concerned about social responsibility, he’ll make sure that the serial rapist gets what he deserves in the story’s conclusion. If the artist isn’t responsible and only depicts the serial rapist having one success after another while exploiting the animalistic and violent rape scenes, then you have to wonder if that’s really acceptable.

Yeah, that is done a lot in crime shows and CSI and what not. It gets to the point where they almost can’t lose. I agree with you that this is probally the best thing for kids and weak minded adults to see so they don’t get the idea that they can do these things without consiquences. It does get rather boring to me though if it is done all the time. I dunno how to really put it, on one had it isn’t good for some people, but on the other hand there are some people that could handel it. I guess the only real solution is to be carful of who your audience is, but you can’t do that 100%.

[Lovas]

IMHO it is not a matter of a “responsability towards society” but simply a matter of artist’s internal urge to comment social phenomena in the culture he/she lives and participates in. In other (simpler) words: if an artist gets pissed off enough by high taxes, oil prices or religious fanatics killing innocent people - he would probably open his psychological valve in the best way he can: by expressing the anger in form of an artistic expression. That’s called Art.

If he/or she does it not because of his/her irrational internal urge but as a result of a rational decision that “the society expect him or her to do that” - it is not art anymore but a cheap political (/religous/commercial…) propaganda and I bet the artist will not find any creative enjoyment or pride in such a work.

Just my humble opinion - and no, I don’t consider myself an artist, I just like to transfer images of non-existent worlds or situations from my mind to other people that might enjoy it. I don’t care about conveying a message or saving the world. If I had to depict a murder scene (pictures like that are something common today even though I think murder is far, far worse than rape, porn etc.) I’d do it with no bad conscience or guilt. If someone sees me as a potential murderer because of that, it is probably his turn to see a psychoanalyst. Creating or consuming art products that show murder scenes would make a murderer out of someone as much as filming or watching “westerns” would make him become a cowboy.

It really makes no difference. Whatever art we create, socially engaged or not - the murderers, rapists, religious fanatics and worse of all, politicians out there don’t care at all and will happily keep on doing what they do.

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