New Visions, New Viewers, New Vehicles: Twentieth-Century Developments in North American Political Art

The author traces the history of political art in the twentieth century, focusing in particular on major new developments in artistic content, form and audience. He describes how contemporary political artists have broadly expanded traditional European themes in visual social commentary, especially in the domains of racism, sexism, environmental degradation and economic inequality. He also discusses how twentieth-century political artists in North America have used public spaces and new technologies to disseminate their messages, especially in mural, poster and installation forms. Examples of artworks exploring all these developments are presented and examined throughout the article.