I. B. Tauris & Company Art and Politics: A Small History of Art for Social Change Since 1945

What makes a piece of art 'political'? Can art catalyze political change? By exploring how art is used by politics and politics by art- from the postwar works of Pablo Picasso and Alexander Deineka to the Border Film Project- Claudia Mesch considers how artists have engaged with major political movements. While emphasizing Western practices, Art and Politics also takes important global developments into account, including the practices of Lebanese artists Joana Hadjihomas and Khalil Joreige, the visual art of Iranian practitioner Shirin Neshat, and the rise to prominence of post-colonialist art in Africa. This book will challenge its readers to consider often devalued and marginalized political artworks as a proper part of the history of modern and contemporary art.