Caryl Yasko: Public Art, the Original Social Medium
By Dave McGraw
These days, it’s impossible to ignore the impact of social media. In fact, even making that statement seems redundant. But what if we ask the question: “What are the roots of social media?” If we ask this question, we must look back to a time before the Internet, and consider what role media played in shaping the world.
By Dave McGraw
These days, it’s impossible to ignore the impact of social media. In fact, even making that statement seems redundant. But what if we ask the question: “What are the roots of social media?” If we ask this question, we must look back to a time before the Internet, and consider what role media played in shaping the world.
Ever since the posters of Paris changed history in the later half of the 19th century, art has been inseparably bound with advertising. We cannot ignore the simple fact that at media’s central core, it is about advertising something. This sort of promotion has had a profound effect upon the consciousness of the modern human, resulting in a synthesis of ideas and themes melded with visual imagery.
Among the many forms of media that have developed since the post-impressionistic days of Paris, art has always been at the forefront, blazing the path ahead for media to follow in its wake. One of the more interesting and socially engaging forms that developed was the Mural.
Murals are quite literally “public art.” They involve the community, interact with and challenge the community. And right now, you can go see the art of one of the forerunners of the contemporary mural art movement in America: Caryl Yasko. In 1972, Yasko’s Under City Stone, made her a national icon, and one of America’s first female community muralists. This mural was painted in Chicago and established her as a trailblazer of an art movement that exploded in the United States and across Europe.
Among the many forms of media that have developed since the post-impressionistic days of Paris, art has always been at the forefront, blazing the path ahead for media to follow in its wake. One of the more interesting and socially engaging forms that developed was the Mural.
Murals are quite literally “public art.” They involve the community, interact with and challenge the community. And right now, you can go see the art of one of the forerunners of the contemporary mural art movement in America: Caryl Yasko. In 1972, Yasko’s Under City Stone, made her a national icon, and one of America’s first female community muralists. This mural was painted in Chicago and established her as a trailblazer of an art movement that exploded in the United States and across Europe.
This movement resulted in hundreds of sweeping and comprehensive murals that expressed, explored and challenged various social themes: health care, immigration, equal rights, and freedom of speech. These murals became a voice of and for the community, mobilizing large-scale collective action, and by shedding light on issues people may find uncomfortable.
“The real significance of public art is that the people in the community actively participate in developing their visual voice,” said Yasko. “The public artist’s task is to maintain artistic integrity and cohesiveness so that once the work is completed it stands as both as a statement representing the ideas and the sentiments of the community and as a strong artistic composition so that the intent of the mural is easily read.”
Yasko’s work has long been applauded for its strong compositions and beautiful use of color. She has long believed that art should be available to everyone, and that it should include the viewer as well as the artist. Being of so grand a scale, the mural instantly becomes a part of the community by transforming the side of a building, or walls of an overpass into a relevant and compelling statement. Yasko believes that in conceiving and developing a mural, the community should be involved by collaborating with people that live in a particular community.
“The real significance of public art is that the people in the community actively participate in developing their visual voice,” said Yasko. “The public artist’s task is to maintain artistic integrity and cohesiveness so that once the work is completed it stands as both as a statement representing the ideas and the sentiments of the community and as a strong artistic composition so that the intent of the mural is easily read.”
Yasko’s work has long been applauded for its strong compositions and beautiful use of color. She has long believed that art should be available to everyone, and that it should include the viewer as well as the artist. Being of so grand a scale, the mural instantly becomes a part of the community by transforming the side of a building, or walls of an overpass into a relevant and compelling statement. Yasko believes that in conceiving and developing a mural, the community should be involved by collaborating with people that live in a particular community.
“We broke the barrier between the artist and the viewer and collaborated with people on the street, in neighborhoods and communities to reflect what they wanted to say about what was important to them at the moment. It was and still is a social medium much like the Internet is today.”
The exhibition explores Yasko’s significance as a founding figure in the American Public Art movement, and what it means to be a public artist. The exhibition includes mural reproductions, original drawings, and sculptures, in addition to concept artwork that helps to show how Yasko developed her style and methods for working with a community and best expressing its voice in her work.
So, here we are, living in a digital age where the world has literally become just a click away. And what’s keeping us connected is the social media of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and countless others. As usual, it is always important to understand where we have come from and where we have been, in order to see where we are going. In a way, you can consider the social media of today a vast network of murals that collectively express our ever-changing ideas, views and cultures. As much as things change, they somehow always seem to retain the essence of what came before.
See the exhibit:
The Cultural Arts Center, 402 West Main Street, Whitewater Wisconsin
Thursday-Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.
Show opens Saturday August 4, noon - 5 pm
Opening Reception - Sunday August 12, 1-4 pm (Free and open to the public)
Introduction by John Pitman Weber, founder of the Chicago Mural Group
Closing Reception Sunday, September 9, 1 - 4 pm
The exhibition explores Yasko’s significance as a founding figure in the American Public Art movement, and what it means to be a public artist. The exhibition includes mural reproductions, original drawings, and sculptures, in addition to concept artwork that helps to show how Yasko developed her style and methods for working with a community and best expressing its voice in her work.
So, here we are, living in a digital age where the world has literally become just a click away. And what’s keeping us connected is the social media of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and countless others. As usual, it is always important to understand where we have come from and where we have been, in order to see where we are going. In a way, you can consider the social media of today a vast network of murals that collectively express our ever-changing ideas, views and cultures. As much as things change, they somehow always seem to retain the essence of what came before.
See the exhibit:
The Cultural Arts Center, 402 West Main Street, Whitewater Wisconsin
Thursday-Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.
Show opens Saturday August 4, noon - 5 pm
Opening Reception - Sunday August 12, 1-4 pm (Free and open to the public)
Introduction by John Pitman Weber, founder of the Chicago Mural Group
Closing Reception Sunday, September 9, 1 - 4 pm
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