10 Politically Charged Artworks

Throughout history, art has been a means of expressing a political statement, and many of the most iconic artworks were created in response to periods of turmoil or strife—think, for instance, of Goya's 3rd of May, 1808 or Picasso's Guernica. Contemporary artists continue to address political themes relevant to today, from globalization and climate change to national security and war, attuning their viewers to pressing issues through visual means. Photographer Edward Burtynsky documents landscapes impacted by industry, depicting the alarming effects of human interference in the natural world, while Skylar Fein addresses the increasing influence of technology in communication and Mounir Fatmi alludes to the connection between ideology and violence. Other artists use their work to explore political events of the past, insisting that viewers remember historical injustices: in Faith Ringgold's series Coming to Jones Road, for instance, she narrates the journey of runaway slaves migrating north, while An-My Lê's series Small Wars captures reenactments of Vietnam War battles in Virginia.