"An artist is above all a human being, profoundly human to the core. If an artist can't feel everything that humanity feels, if the artist isn't capable of loving until he forgets himself and sacrifices himself if necessary, if he won't put down his magic brush and head the fight against the great oppressor, then he isn't a great artist." -Diego Rivera
On her blog, Sarah asked: "Is it just me, or does this quote contain a hint of Communist propaganda?"
The question references the last part of Rivera's quote, the section about fighting the "great oppressor". As Sarah mentioned, Rivera was a Communist supporter. In he most likely intended it, this was a call for a Communist Mexico and a profoundly political statement. Under those restrictions, I must disagree with Rivera's definition of an artist. Art can be political, but it doesn't have to be.
Yet, if one removes Rivera's initial intentions, it is possible to redefine his statement. If art has a message, and I believe that all art does, then it is supporting a certain point of view. If an artist is unwilling to express that point of view, regardless of it's popularity, is he or she really an artist?
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