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Art
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In
order to define a populist art culture first there is a
need to define the term culture.
Culture can be used to refer to a 'general process of
intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic development. We
could speak here of the cultural development of Western
Europe and refer to intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic
factors--great philosophers, great artists and great
poets. This would be a perfectly understandable
formulation.
However a much more important use of the word culture
might instead suggest 'a particular way of life, whether
of a people, a period or a group'. Using this definition,
if we speak of the cultural development of Western
Europe, we would have in mind not just intellectual and
aesthetic factors, but the development of literacy,
religious and sporting festivals. Culture in this sense
may be used to refer to 'the works and practices of
intellectual and especially artistic activity. In other
words, those texts and practices whose principal function
is to signify, to produce or to be the occasion for the
production of imagery and meaning. This definition of
culture encompasses a wide variety of cultural
expressions such as poetry, the novel, ballet, opera and
fine art.
To
speak of a populist art culture in these terms means to
mobilize the second and third meanings of the word
culture. As a particular expression of life, folk art has
the added advantage of portraying lived cultures, it can
thus become a celebration of traditional customs,
mythologies, youth in the use of symbolic imagery. So
there is a further important term to think about and that
is ideology.
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It is possible to
consider only those meanings which have a
bearing on ideology in the study of populist art
culture.
First of all, ideology can refer to a systematic
body of ideas articulated by a particular group
of people. For example, we could speak of
'professional ideology' to refer to the ideas
which inform the practices of particular
professional groups in society. We could also,
in the same manner, just as easily refer to the
collection of political, economic and social
ideas which inform the aspirations and
activities of a populist movement.
Ideology in this case can be used to expose
cultural texts and practices in society which
present distorted images of reality. Art has the
ability to: produce dramatic visual statements
that expose 'false consciousness'; reestablish a
sense of cultural order--where chaos and anarchy
reign; focus perceptions of the masses to the
distortions of the marxist and capitalist
ideology; work in the interest of the powerless
mass against the powerful elites.
What can be achieved is to provide an ideology
that works to reveal the reality of domination
of the establishment to the masses; the dominant
classes do not see themselves as exploiters and
oppressors and their art in turn never portrays
themselves in that light. Their texts, and the
media employed to brodcast their views to the
world, in reality suggests a certain masking,
distortion, concealment of true facts to the
general public.
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A
definition of ideology here (closely related to, and in
some ways dependent on, the above cultural definitions)
uses the term to refer to 'ideological forms'. This usage
is intended to draw attention to the ways in which texts
(news, television fiction, pop songs, feature Hollywood
films, etc.) always present a particular image to the
world. This reality depends on a notion of society as
conflictual rather than consensual. It is
authoritarian--regardless of statements made to present
them as encouraging a democratic public forum. Texts and
images can be said to take sides, consciously or
unconsciously, in all public debates covered by any
media.
Art is never without consequence, there is no play or
picture which today does not offer an ideological
signification of the way the world is to be perceived. In
other words, one can simply state that all public
messages have ulterior commercial aims and are ultimately
political.
There
is a need to realize the way in which ideology is
encountered in the practices of everyday life and not
simply in certain ideas about everyday life. Principally,
the masses need to consider that certain rituals and
customs have the effect of binding them to the social
order; a social order which is marked by enormous
inequalities of wealth, status and political power. This
would enable many to break free from the chains of
cultural submissivness, a majority could return to its
rightful place in the social hierarchy, ready to fend the
exploitations and oppressions of a system which have so
corrupted entire civilazitions for far too long.
A folkish, "populist" art--in the ideological sense
becomes a statement of intent, it attempts to affirm
traditional local, regional and national values; promote
aestethic norms in standard to characteristics of local
populations.
A purely 'Western', 'populist','cultural' expression here
intends to reduce the inequality of the social
conditions, providing the masses with the means to fend
against the mechanisms of power that serve a priviledged
few, to effectively counter the expressions of foreign
dominance that recognize no equals, and reorder the
fabric of economic relations that marxism and capitalism
impose on all societies regardless of race, religion, or
creed.
Uniculturalism
needs to be recognized, reaffirmed, protected and
defended.
Cultural ethnocentrism needs to insulate our societies
against the very real perils of international
acculturation and globalization trends which goals are to
dissolve identities in one great relativist mass. Our
intrinsic ways of life, our customs and traditions are
those which help us reach our full human potential--only
because they have been refined for our benefits for
centuries. By forsaking our human cultural heritage and
artistic patrimony not only do we risk losing our
ideological sovereignty we also risk losing or selling
cheap, what is perhaps the most prized and valuable
commodity in the tourist, leisure industry and
information markets.
A populist culture, therefore, is the only means to fend
against the commercial industry and shadow economy,
because it provides the only resource which the masses
can readily create in abundance and market without
relying on any other third parties or foreign
institutions.
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