Positive Activism: Not Just An Artwork
Nosipho Eunice Dala from The Price of Gold - ©Thom Pierce 2015
I had lunch with a “client” in Johannesburg last week. He was buying an artwork from me and, since he was staying in town for a few days, we decided to meet up so that I could give him the print in person.
We were talking about the new house that he is building for his family in North Carolina, a passion project that he would be doing much of the carpentry for himself, once the foundations were secure. He was buying the print from me as part of a collection of art for their library.
He told me that his wife had decided on one rule when buying art for their house, which was that the artwork needs to mean something to them. It needs to be more than just a nice picture. It needs to have a story that resonated with them.
Much of his work has brought him to Southern Africa over the years and so he has a deep interest in the people, cultures and landscapes of South Africa and Lesotho. I imagine this is what drew him to my work.
When he displays that artwork in his new house it won’t just be a decoration for the walls, but a conversation starter for anyone that takes an interest. It will lead to a story of his own life and work in South Africa, opening doors to deeper conversation, allowing him to talk about issues that matter to him.
The Art You Buy Is A Statement About Yourself…
It is a reminder to you, and everyone who comes to your home of who you are and what you stand for. It’s the breadcrumbs that leads to a clearing where your interests, philosophies and personality are revealed to others. Much of the time it leads to the ideal version of you; that time when you were your most interesting self or those issues that define the most vibrant and radical edges of your personality.
It made me think a lot about who I want to make art for, what I want them to feel and, outside of the obvious financial reasons, why I want them to buy it.
It occurred to me that why I make the art is as important as the art that I make. Because I want the people who buy my work to love what they see, but I also want them to love what they feel when they look at it. I want the story of why I make the art to become their story, an extension of themselves and their place in the world.
I Make Two Types Of Work: Art & Activism.
The activism I make is an ongoing series of projects that provide a voice for the victims of human rights violations in South Africa. I call this Positive Activism.
I sell the art to fund the activism.
The art that I make is for people who are interested in the world. It’s for people with a humanitarian heart. People who embrace the rich variety of the human experience. People who want to build bridges and people who are passionate about seeing a change towards tolerance and equality.
In many ways I make my work for engaged, caring South Africans living abroad who still have a fondness for their home. Those who want a beautiful reminder of where they are from and who also want to make a positive contribution. The ones who understand the need for human dignity around every corner and who want the art on their walls to be an expression of that.
When you buy a piece of my work I want you to feel a part of the ongoing story to make work that changes lives. This is because you are part of it. You are funding it.
Every time you look at the print on your wall I want you to be reminded of the broader value of your investment, the ongoing, positive impact that it is making. And I want it to become a part of the story that you tell about why you bought the artwork and what it means to you.
I would like it to be part of your story so that when someone comes to your house and compliments you on the nice picture on the wall it isn’t the end of the conversation, but the start of a whole new one that speaks to who you are and how you exist in the world.
Isn’t that, after all, what art is for?
I look forward to your comments below…T
