Art is never devoid of politics and economics (August 7 2012) Art is never devoid of politics and economics (August 7 2012)

Van Thanh Rudd the 38 year old Vietnamese Australian artist whose artworks have created controversies due to their left-wing political content has contributed artworks in support of ‘Free the Refugees Campaign’. Rudd’s first step into art/politics was becoming a member of the Darebin Artists Action Group (DAAG), followed with a deeper involvement in global politics came about while attending anti-globalization S11 rallies in Melbourne. Rudd’s art is influenced, inspired and directed towards movements of social justice around the globe. His major aim is to expose his often controversial art to as many people as possible in order to inspire discussion and debate about art’s role in today’s environmental, political and economic crises. Rudd describes himself as an “anti-capitalist activist who believes art can help change the world for the better and that art is never neutral. Art is never devoid of politics and economics. Art is part of a class war between the wealthy, ruling elites of the world and the majority of the indebted, working poor and exhausted and depleting middle classes. …Along with many social justice activists around the world, am inspired by the revolutionary atmosphere taking place around the world, from the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall St, the radical Left movements of Latin America, to the local street protests. Those protests include freedom for refugees, freedom for Palestine, freedom for Julian Assange and Wikileaks, and ending the Imperialist wars in the middle east. My art attempts to assist these and many more social justice campaigns.”

 

Inspired by Van Thanh Rudd ow.ly/cEzj4 image source Facebook ow.ly/cEymh