Anarchism in the arts

As a political theory that encompasses the full spectrum of social, philosophical, political and economic, Anarchism has a deep reach in culture.

Like socialism, communism and even fascism, Anarchism has a plethora of imagery and symbolism which have become associated with a variety of groups and movements, and co-opted (or "recuperated") by capitalist industry. The influence of anarchism is not always directly a matter of specific imagery or public figures, but may be seen in a certain stance towards the liberation of the total human being and the imagination.

Visual Art

(ie, the use of art or illustration to promote specifically anarchist ideas)

• Freddie Baer
• André Breton
• Flavio Constantini
• Mike Flugennock
• Clifford Harper
• Jay Kinney (Anarchy Comics)
• Arthur Moyse
• Laura Norder
• Donald Rooum (Wildcat Comics, see Freedom anarchist fortnightly)
• Franklin Rosemont
• Penelope Rosemont
• Mark Rothko
• Winston Smith
• Seth Tobocman
• Gee Vaucher
• John Yates

Anarchism had a large influence on French Symbolism of the late 19th century, such as that of Mallarme, who was quoting as saying "La vraie bombe c'est le livre" (the true bomb is the book) and infiltrated the cafes and cabarets of turn of the century Paris (see the Drunken Boat #2).

More significantly, anarchists claim that 'strains' may be found in the works of the Dada group, whose anti-bourgeois art antics saw them wreaking havoc in war neutral Switzerland during World War I. However on closer analysis the Dadaists were much closer to the Council Communists, having much of their material published in Die Aktion.

Many American artists of the early 20th century were influenced by anarchist ideas, if they weren't anarchists themselves. The Ashcan School of American realism included anarchist artists and artists such as Rockwell Kent and George Bellows that were influenced by anarchist ideas. Abstract expressionism also included anarchist artists such as Mark Rothko and painters such as Jackson Pollock, who had adopted radical ideas during his experience as a muralist for the WPA. Pollock's father had also been a Wobbly.

In the late 20th century, anarchism and the arts could primarily be associated with the collage works by Freddie Baer, Johan Humyn Being, and others, whose work was being published in anarchist magazines, including Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed and Fifth Estate. Freddie Baer is noteworthy for her work as a book designer for AK Press and for her contributions to the feminist science fiction milieu. Baer has contributed art to the annual WisCon conference, a convention featuring feminist science fiction which awards the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. Freddie Baer has been nominated several times for the Hugo Award for her work as a fan artist.

In the 1990s, anarchists were involved in the mail art movement, which can be described as "art which uses the postal service in some way." This is related to the involvement of many anarchists in the zine movement. And many contemporary anarchists are involved in making art in the form of flyposters, stencils, and radical puppets.

Surrealism

As anarchism has traditionally emphasized the liberation of the imagination and subjectivity from the constraints of the present social order, many anarchists erroneously consider that it finds one of its closest allies in the work of the surrealists.

Surrealism is both an artistic and political movement aimed at nothing less than the total liberation of the human being from the constraints of capitalism, the state, and the cultural forces that limit the reign of the imagination. The movement developed in France in the wake of WWI with Andre Breton as its main theorist and poet. Originally it was tied closely to the Communist Party. Later Breton, a close friend of Leon Trotsky broke with the Communist Party. Surrealism has a strong continued following today in places like Portland, Oregon, the Czech Republic, Minneapolis, Chicago, Australia, and Portugal.

Music

A number of performers and artists have either been inspired by anarchist concepts, or have used the medium of music and sound in order to promote anarchist ideas and politics.

Punk rock is one movement that has taken much inspiration from the often potent imagery and symbolism associated with anarchism and situationist rhetoric, if not always the political theory. In the past few decades, anarchism has been closely associated with the punk rock movement, and has grown because of that association (whatever other effects that has had on the movement and the prejudiced pictures of it). Indeed, many anarchists were introduced to the ideas of Anarchism through that symbolism and the anti-authoritarian sentiment which many punk songs expressed.

Anarcho-punk, on the other hand, is a current that has been more explicitly engaged with anarchist politics, particularly in the case of bands such as Crass, Poison Girls, (early) Chumbawamba, The Ex, Flux of Pink Indians, Riot/Clone, etc. Many other bands, especially at the local level of unsigned groups, have taken on what is known as a "punk" or "DIY" ethic: that is, Doing It Yourself, indeed a popular Anarcho-punk slogan reads "DIY not EMI", a reference to a conscious rejection of the major record company. Some groups who began as 'anarcho-punk' have attempted to move their ideas into a more mainstream musical arena, for instance, Chumbawamba, who continue to support and promote anarchist politics despite now playing more dance music and pop influenced styles.

Other musical artists who promote anarchist ideas include:

• John Cage
• Manu Chao
• No Use for a Name
• One Minute Silence
• Rage Against the Machine (It should be noted that while the singer, Zack de la Rocha subscribed to more anarchist politics, the guitarist Tom Morello was a fervent supporter of Maoism.)

See also: Politics in music

Written fiction

Anarchist writers, or those that have incorporated anarchist ideas into their fiction, include:

• Ursula K. Le Guin (esp. The Dispossessed)
• Michael Moorcock
• M. John Harrison
• Robert Anton Wilson (The Illuminatus trilogy)
• BS Traven
• Alan Moore
• Iain M. Banks' novels of The Culture are science fiction books centred on a "libertarian-anarchist utopia," as Banks calls it in The State of the Art.
• Henry Miller Novelist and playright. "Tropic of Cancer"

Film/Video

• Jean Vigo
• Godfrey Reggio
• Otto Nomous - produced numerous short and long form documentary movies on anarchist politics including Anarchy in L.A. and The Fellowship of the Ring of Free Trade.
• Luis Bunuel
• Jon Jost
• Hal Hartley - wrote and directed many films with anarchist themes, including Simple Men, a fictional tale about the children of an anarchist on the run from the law.
• Judith Malina - actress who was an integral part of the "Living Theater" with her husband Julian Beck. Noted for playing "Grandma" in the Addams Family movie (1991); she recently played "Grammy" in "Snow Days" (2001). Other notable films for Malina include Awakenings (1990), Radio Days (1987) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975).