One of the art missions is to express public opinion and draw attention to acute social problems through vivid and memorable images. Some art people use shocking images or performances to demonstrate the imperfection and cruelty of reality. However, other artists express their ideas by helping viewers see the beauty and its importance in the world. Paper Routes is the sixth installment of NMWA’s Women to Watch exhibition series that shows an excellent example of the tenderness and gentleness combination with strong imagery and critical social issues.
Anna Nelson-Daniel presented her review at the Paper Routes exhibition created by five female artists, namely Jerushia Graham, Sanaz Haghani, Imi Hwangbo, Lucha Rodriguez, and Whitney Stansell. I agree with the author’s criticism, in which the works of this exhibition are called “soft power” (Nelson-Daniel, 2020). The artists’ work represent soft forms and gentle images that carry the power to force attention to social problems. All works are made of paper, some of them represent three-dimensional sculptures, others resemble wood carvings, and the third is an example of the exceptional blade work to create delicate ornaments. At the same time, all the exhibits reflect the problems faced by women in everyday life. For example, Nelson-Daniel (2020) highlights Haghani’s large-scale installation Forgotten Identity, which resembles the chador that women in Iran are obligated to wear with its colors and shapes. Another example is Graham’s work from the series Undercurrents, which shows a woman standing in the water. Therefore, I fully agree with the criticism of the author of the review, and I find this excellent exhibition examples of works that combine the beauty of art and its social significance.
References
Nelson-Daniel, A. (2020). Soft power: “Paper Routes” at MOCA GA, Atlanta. Burnaway. Web.