I Will Not Rebel - Assessment 2 Final Piece This piece is an interpretation of a creative rebellion, and what rebellion looks like in art. From my first assessment piece I drew the conclusion that rebellion in art is futile, as art imposes its own meanings and connotations, overshadowing the message of rebellion contained within it. I looked at Banksy and his works, and applied my view to his works. His works are famed for their irony and poignant messages, but are more appreciated as artworks than as meaningful conduits of a rebellious message. His primary medium is graffiti, and aside from the instilled messages in his art, the format of his work – graffiti – is the rebellious aspect of his work. Taking this on, I experimented with a graffiti font, and wrote ‘I will not rebel’ in order to introduce the irony similar to Banksy’s works into mine. I also wanted to clearly state the view that choosing to artistically rebel can be considered a ‘soft rebellion’ and thus eliminates the severity of a forceful rebellion. Following the theme of artwork in a rebellious context, I decided to use a stencil of a design I had previously created, as it suited my requirements for an object of beauty. I decided to incorporate an object of beauty in a 2D format because I wanted to create something that could represent the beauty of rebellious artwork as art. I spray painted the stencil to mimic the application of graffiti and proceeded to graffiti over the work, the words ‘I will not rebel’. This created an ironic piece, conveying the futility of artistic rebellions in the lens I was looking through. There are several elements of the piece that contribute to this idea. The first is the graffiti over the top of the painting. This is reminiscent of a rebellious activity, as it almost vandalises the artwork. However, the use of supposed vandalism against my own artwork further adds to the point that rebellion in art contributes to the art, enhancing it, rather than the other way around. Another element is the spray-painted stencil, depicting an object of value and beauty. The fact that it is ‘ruined’ or its aesthetic value is diminished shows the effect, which is close to none, which a rebellious act in art can have. The final aspect of this piece is that this artwork was not done on a wall in a public space as is typical of graffiti and would befit a rebellious artwork. A public forum would be beneficial to a rebellious work if the work was effective in communicating its rebellion. However, given the theme of the work, the work was painted onto a canvas, with the intention of being displayed. This is to further show that if a rebellion is to manifest in art, it must submit to the conventions of art. This point is exaggerated by justifying that this work was in fact painted on canvas as opposed to a wall in public. The titular message ‘I will not rebel’ is intended to convey the idea that with or without realising, an artist seeking to rebel through art may not achieve that goal, and hence ‘will not rebel’. I decided I wanted to make the phrase more ironic by actually incorporating it into the artwork, thereby taking it from text to art, and reinforcing the point. That rebellion is futile through art.
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