Protest

Protest art seeks to bring about such strong feelings in a viewer so as to mobilize them to action against an adversary. Often times a specific historical event of moral or ethical atrocity is selected as subject matter to demonstrate the purpose for protest, such as Goya's The Third of May, 1808 or Picasso's Guernica. In fact, Guernica was actively used as a public means of protest during the Spanish Civil War, and its powerful anti-war message still ruffles feathers to this day. Protest artists have a tendency to a politically align themselves with the left, with some groups such as the Surrealists tying themselves with international communism. Due to the multi-layered nature of politics and resulting effects on society, documentary and memorial art have the potential to become political statements as well.

I have noticed that much of modern art could be categorized as protest art of sorts, even if the artist is simply protesting the stereotypical conventions of what it means to make art. I think some modern artists actually delight in rabble rousing, whereas others simply seek to confound their viewers and force them to reconsider the definition of art itself. Personally, I don't do protest pieces because I don't like confrontation and don't want to align myself with a particular political party. My focus is geared more toward self-discovery and inner peace.