The Different Faces of Politics
The books “The Different Faces of Politics in Literature and Music” and “The Different Faces of Politics in the Visual and Performative Arts”, edited by Mario Thomas Vassallo and André P. DeBattista, attempt to bring together different contributions from the fields of the visual arts, literature, cinematography, dance, and music to demonstrate the other side to politics which is often overlooked in the field of political science.
Some of the contributions in this book make a particular reference to Malta – the smallest member-state in the European Union – which, nonetheless, has a vibrant arts scene which has often challenged those in power and, sometimes, found itself at the receiving end of political censure. This book has two-fold aims; to be a ‘reader’ in the subject for the general well-informed public, and to serve as a textbook and an academic source for practitioners in the field of political science.
There is both tension and symbiosis between the politician and the artist. On the one hand, creative output is a product of sociological and political factors. On the other hand, the creative industry and artistic movements affect politics; they dispel taboos and deeply held conventions, they dismantle prejudices and can bring about social and political change. Thus, political regimes and creative persons have always tried to influence, challenge, and, in some cases, undermine one another.
Politicians have often tried to patronise the arts through the commissioning of official portraits and other works of art; through the commemoration of national heroes in statues and monuments; through compositions aimed at rousing national fervour; through encouraging narratives in schools and through the creation of mass culture and official propaganda. Alternatively, they have tried to censor works considered subversive.
Artists have challenged this by irreverent caricatures and highly-charged works of art, provocative sculptures, subversive street art, popular songs with social and political themes, citizen journalism, and challenging literature which has shaken some political regimes to the core.
Both volumes highlight these links between politics and governance and the arts. These volumes will serve as an indispensable source for researchers and academics in political science, the humanities and performing arts.