Jazmine Ibarra

Dr. Sarah Thaller

Fire Cohort

4 November 2020

Art of Protest ​Reflection

In the documentary, ​Art of Protest,​ by ​RollingStone​, I have learned about artists, athletes, and

incredible people around the world who have brought about change through their creations of art. Art

forms, be it visual, auditory, sensual, humorous, insulting, or beautiful, it has proven to be powerful and

effective in creating both negative and/or positive change. I found the methods that ​Indeclined​ used to

create their art to be interesting because I have never seen such controversial art. Although their art is

questionable and controversial, it is the questionable that make us turn our heads and inspire us. It is the

questionable that makes us curious. The questionable that makes us want to make change in the ways that

only we can. I find it so beautiful and amazing that people can come together to support each other in

times like this. The artists ridiculed Donald Trump with their statues of him in different states and people

laughed at it, took photos with, further spreading the message. This documentary has shown me that art is

an incredibly effective way to bring across a singular message to millions and maybe even billions of

people. The more support for a movement, the more likely that change is going to happen or be made,

even if the government is not the one responding to it. It made me really sad to see the recordings of

police brutality, but the truth is never an easy pill to swallow. I loved the art piece that ​Indeclined ​did, the

one with the names of African Americans who have died at the hands of police brutality, for that makes

an especially powerful statement. Art is something that anyone can create and I support the notion that art

is the voice for the voiceless because it really is. I am an introvert, and despite how much I have changed

as a person, this is one thing that has remained the same about me, but it has helped me to see things

differently, in the way that I want to see them. I like that art gives people the power to make their own

opinions and decisions about what to think, who to believe, and what to do about something. I love that
art is strong enough to unite and also separate people and/or things. Even though people believe in very

different things, it really brings me hope to see movements like this happening. The only difference

between admiration and activism is that activism requires more courage than admiration. It takes guts to

create ballsy art. It takes guts to use your voice and bring to the table an opinion that most people do not

agree with and I find it absolutely necessary to do things like this during this time.