With the ability to directly shape the minds and actions of society, artists wield tremendous power. Sadly, too often we allow the fruits of our labor to be dictated and purchased by those whose ambitions are contrary to not just our own, but to those of our communities.
In a world that badly needs leadership around critical issues, it’s far past time that we, the creative class, embrace the utility of propaganda and the incredible facility with which we craft it. Our skills must be redirected away from consuming the planet and toward restoring it. The first step in achieving this is to acknowledge our culpability, to admit that we have largely abdicated our responsibility by choice; that we have been lulled to sleep not by some cabal of greedy corporate robber barons, but by one another. Only then can we set about participating as Monkey Wrenchers, Educators and Leaders.
The Public Energy Art Kit (P.E.A.K.) you hold in your hands is the work of inspired creative people who have chosen to move from passive consumers to active global citizens by deploying words and images that both educate about our current challenges and promote obtainable visions of a more resilient future.
It is our job to rattle cages with all our might. And if that doesn’t work, to break them open with blowtorches and dynamite. Once those doors are open, the real work begins. While many of our fellows will huddle together and steadfastly refuse to emerge into the light, their children will not be bound into servitude by the same consumptive habits. It is the genius of these future leaders we must spark as swiftly and surely as possible.
More from lead artist Steve Lambert:
About the Public Energy Art Kit from Steve Lambert on Vimeo.
