from the eMusings Archive...

Volume 13 • Number 4 • December 2020

Art and Politics

by Huntington Witherill

“Political art expresses the cliches you agree with, unlike propaganda, which expresses the cliches you don't.” –Brad Holland

As I set out to compile a few thoughts in relation to art and politics – an exercise admittedly undertaken mostly to clarify and reaffirm such perspectives within my own mind – I realize that the subject, itself, comprises a potentially provocative territory that, not unlike a tightrope walk, will be best be negotiated with considerable care and caution. Given the politically charged times in which we live, the possibility to inadvertently pique at least a few readers’ sensibilities seems all but inevitable. Actually, the word “trepidation” comes to mind in this regard. As in… I wonder if Karl Wallenda entertained feelings of trepidation similar to those that I am currently experiencing? No matter. I’ll try my best not to provoke anyone. And in the end, I think you’ll find my thoughts on the subject to be comparatively innocuous. At least, that will be my hope as I now proceed to ease my foot out onto the high-wire.

When it comes to sharing one’s political opinions with others, it’s been my experience that those who agree with you will likely already be aware of (and concur with) that which you are evangelizing – and those who don’t are rarely (if ever) persuaded to abandon their post. I’m reminded of a small handwritten placard that remains affixed to a bookcase attached to Edward Weston’s old desk which reads: “I do not lend books to friends. I do not want to lose my books, – or my friends. – E.W.” I tend to embrace a similar sentiment in relation to politics.

Specifically in relation to my own photography, I am guided by a piece of advice that my mentor Steve Crouch offered, years ago, which serves to assure me that it will nearly always be in my best interest not to mix my political inclinations with my artistic pursuits. While I remain acutely aware that there are any number of fine-art photographers who use the medium as a platform to promote social, political, and/or environmental advocacy (some, of course, to greater affect than others) it is a practice that I, personally, have never felt the urge (nor the necessity) to engage.

My personal strategy continues to be one of seeking to consciously avoid (to the best of my ability) using my photography as a means to promote any particular social or political cause or campaign. There are numerous reasons for having chosen the approach that I have, and those reasons (some of which are suggested below) continue to govern an overall strategy that has remained both supportive of, and consistent with, my ongoing objectives as a working artist and photographer.

If you happen to be a working fine-art photographer (meaning an individual who is attempting to make a living as a photographer, as opposed to one who may approach the medium strictly as an amateur and/or hobbyist) I suspect you might agree that the ongoing task of gathering and maintaining a dedicated audience for your work – to help support and sustain that work, over time – is no simple, effortless, nor even affirmatively assured undertaking. As such, I never thought it made much sense to run the risk of alienating even a small segment of what is already a conspicuously limited wellspring of potential patronage – by using my photography as a means to promote my own (personal) political inclinations.

Setting aside the relative virtue and/or efficacy of such campaigning, common sense dictates that it will make absolutely no difference on which side of the aisle my politics mght be situated – roughly half the population will never agree with my views, regardless of what those views happen to be. That is the nature of politics. On the other hand, when it comes to artistic pursuits, developing and maintaining an enthusiastic and supportive audience will, in all likelihood, continue to remain quite difficult enough as it is.

Additionally, because I’ve never felt that the overriding purpose of art was (or is) that of being a means to generate political activism, I have chosen, instead, to gravitate toward what I find to be the more spiritually uplifting, emotionally inspiring, aesthetically engaging, and consequently more personally fulfilling aspects of art and photography. And, lest I be misconstrued, that is not to say that using photography as a means to promote political advocacy is not a legitimate enterprise. It is to say that political advocacy is not the only reason to engage the medium.

While I of course maintain a variety of political opinions (just like everyone else) I’ve always subscribed to the notion that there were (and are) so many other more affirmatively compelling reasons to produce and disseminate art. My personal opinions in relation to what may (or may not) be my own pet causes – those issues simply do not (if you’ll pardon the pun) enter into the picture. In short, the only cause I’m willing to support, within this context, will be that it remains my firm and considered opinion that not everything in life needs to be about politics. Beyond that, and with due respect to both politics, and the pursuit of art, that will be the only cause I’m prepared to promote.


Huntington Witherill