ARTIVISTS: VISUAL CULTURE

'Revolutions are about vision...a revolution of vision, of purpose, maybe hope'

- 'The Question of Ireland' Morley & Flanagan

Back in January 2016, The Generalist reviewed this remarkable book  and am now returning to it study further the Afterword on visual activism.

It talks of the notion 'they do not represent us' which, Mirzoeff believes, 'now appears more like a recurrent theme in modern history, from the Chartist clains to represent England to the Arab Spring.' He says the implication of this resonant phrase (my words) 'is that we must find ways to represent ourselves'.

'Visual activism from the selfie to the projection of a new concept of the 'people' and the necessity of seeing the Anthropocene, is now engaged in trying to make that change.'

A few pages later, he writes: 'Visionary organising is a way of thinking about how we miught use our creative energies to better ends than cutting jobs and increasing profits. It is another form of visual activism. People around the world are coming to similar conclusions and finding new ways to engage with how to imagine change.'

'Visual activism is the intersection of pixels and actions to make change.'

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