Art and Social Activism

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, etc., are our communication channels that bring out positive and negative commentary and experiences. They are a way for people to connect to each other and with the world around us, and also serve as a medium to express our thoughts.

Two blogs ago, we discussed how art can be used as (and is for some)  a form of therapy for those who are feeling stressed or for the many people who want to discover more about themselves. We wanted to dive in a little further and not only talk about how art is used as a way to express oneself, but how art can be used as a tool for social activism. Craftivism, if you will.

Coined by poet Allen Ginsberg, the “Flower Power” movement became a popular form of nonviolent protesting in the late 60s and early 70s. This was a movement where demonstrators would insert a flower into a soldier’s gun as an act of peaceful protest against the Vietnamese war. The gesture would later be embraced by hippies and become the embodiment and staple of their movement.

What do you think of when you see the below image?

The gym? Most people associate the “We Can Do It” picture to the women’s rights movement even though it first surfaced in the 40s to promote female war production workers. However, the photo is best known for feminism as it became popular in the 80s to promote the movement and other political issues surrounding this period.

Art is a constant reminder of events and allows us to discuss social and political issues, even when we sometimes don’t know what to say. Take for example the work of James deCaires Taylor that features sculptures submerged 14 feet underwater off the coast of the Canary Islands. They depict the “Raft of Lampedusa” which references the current immigration crisis:  

Paper Punk is our expression of art and craft that we use to take aim at the excessive use of technology and our need to be connected.

How do you use art to express yourself?

January 24, 2017 by Grace Hawthorne

Fun in the Snow – Recreating Winter Activities with your Paper Punk Pals

For those unfortunate enough to live in a climate that has snow for majority of the year, we salute you! Blizzards, being snowed in, brown and/or yellow snow, shovelling?! …

Most people will say the only good thing about winter is how pretty the snow is. 

 

We are a little inclined to agree, but we want to be sure so we decided to go on a snow adventure and try all of the typical winter activities and bring our Paper Punk pals with us.

Tobogganing

First up on our winter adventure is tobogganing. 

Tobogganing, for those who may not know, consists of either a plastic or wooden long, flat bottomed sled where you sit on and plunge yourself down a hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s great with a large group of people. Trust us, time flies when you’re having fun.

Skating

Ice skating has proven to be the nemesis of many people: 

via GIPHY

But, winter isn’t so bad when you’re out and about so we’ve decided to give it a chance and we loved it!

 

But after a long day out in the snow, we decided to warm up with some hot chocolate.

In conclusion, not only is snow pretty, but tobogganing wouldn’t exist without it and for that we’re eternally grateful. #MakeSomething but also go out and do something cause Paper Punk says so!

 

January 18, 2017 by Grace Hawthorne

Art Therapy and Paper Punk

What do you do when you’re stressed or anxious? Eat? Exercise? Listen to music? Doodle?

Art therapy offers individuals who struggle with communicating an avenue to express themselves using non-verbal communication. Typically, through painting, drawing, or modeling.

Art therapy can be helpful amongst those who are experiencing a lot of stress or pressure, learning disabilities or difficulties, PTSD, depression, etc. or anyone who is simply looking for a way to explore themselves more deeply.

What are the benefits of art therapy? Besides getting to create cool art and finding a safe place to be yourself, the biggest benefit of art therapy are the insights you get from self-exploration. Art therapists are able of provide insight into your creations and help you understand and/or find meaning in your work.

Art therapy can also be a group effort. Finding people who share the same desire to find ways to relieve stress and discover themselves can be a beautiful thing.

We, at Paper Punk, believe in art therapy or any way to positively and creatively express yourself as an outlet. Crafting is a form of art therapy. It’s a way to relieve stress and have fun. Paper Punk can be a form of art therapy by making your own art using our pieces and creating your own characters. Tell your story using Paper Punk.

January 10, 2017 by Grace Hawthorne

Geometric Shapes at Art Basel 2016

Art Basel happened last weekend and it was epic. For those of you who were thinking, “what the punk is Art Basel?”, it’s basically a massive art fair that hosts the world's premier galleries and their artists. For most artists and art fanatics, Art Basel is the pinnacle of year-round art exhibitions. While the Miami event is the star-studded, fan favorite, the event is also hosted in two other cities: Basel, Switzerland and Hong Kong, China.

Besides the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the key art connoisseurs from all around the world, many artists attend to find inspiration and check out some cool artwork.

Here are some of our favorite (geometric shaped) art pieces or installations from this year’s show that give us inspiration:

Acquavella Galleries hailing from New York City, specializing in Impressionist, Modern & Contemporary art.

 

#KennethNoland's 1964 painting 'Mach II' via@acquavellagalleries | Galleries 2016

lucianabritogaleria originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil specializing in contemporary art. See some of their most interesting work:

 

Esther Schipper / Johnen Galerie

This gallery showcased the work of Angela Bulloch, who specializes in sculptures and installations based on architecture and industrial design, with her “pixel boxes” feature. Liam Gillick with his Suspended Collapse plexigals on the right and Matti Braun’s Untitled work on the left.

On the far end of the booth, Ryan Gander’s lightbox The Connectivity Suite (2016) explores the nature of creativity and Martin Honert’s illuminated dormitory room is in the middle of the frame.

 

WITH WORKS BY TOMÁS SARACENO, ANGELA BULLOCH, MARTIN HONERT, LIAM GILLICK, ȘTEFAN BERTALAN, RYAN GANDER, MATTI BRAUN, AA BRONSON, CHRISTOPHER ROTH • ȘTEFAN BERTALAN

 These artists and their work are what inspire us to get up, get out and #MakeSomething. If you’re feeling the same and not exactly sure where to begin, unwind with some Paper Punk and get creative. The #PaperPossibilities are endless!

“Creating the perfect set for your Paper Punk creative” (Art supplies & Accessories)

Creating a set for your Paper Punk is all about storytelling. What story are you trying to tell? What story do you want your creation to be a part of? Everyday supplies like an exacto knife, glue, and tape are essential to creating and designing crafts, but we’d like to highlight a couple that we use to help us turn our imagination into a reality…

 

Construction paper

You first encounter it in primary school and ditch it in high school, but construction paper is our best friend and it should be yours too. Whether we’re creating a night scene or a beach scene, construction paper is always our best bet to set the tone and help create the right visual. It’s easy to use, colorful, and an oldie but a goodie.

Sticky dots

Sticky dots come in each of your paper punk kits and we provide you with it for a reason, it’s stress free! Unlike glue or tape, you don’t have to commit to forever when using the dots. We prefer using sticky dots to build our sets/scenes too because it also provides a cleaner look. Scotch tape is also a good alternative if you can’t find sticky dots when building a set.

Let there be LIGHT!

Finding the proper lighting while making and showing off your final creation makes all the difference. Find a space that is sufficiently lit where it’s not too dark or too bright making it hard to see the details of your craft. The same rule goes for taking a picture of your work.

(From left to right: Too dark – need more lighting, perfect lighting, and too bright – need less light.)

Real life backdrops

Finally, who could forget the real-life backdrops all around us. Whether it be displaying your eye-candy Paper Punk creation on a minimalist mantel, or taking a photo of your Paper Punk friend out in nature, sometimes the best sets are already made.

Much like taking the perfect selfie, creating the perfect set to show off your Paper Punk can sometimes be a little difficult. Hopefully our favorites become yours and your crafting experience is all the more better.

#MakeSomething

December 08, 2016 by Grace Hawthorne

How Paper Punk Helps Bring Your Family Together

Thanksgiving is just two days away and it’s personally one of our favorite holidays. As many people know, the holiday was founded on the idea that we should take a day to give thanks for the blessing of the harvest and for the preceding year. In our family, we go around the table and each of us mentions a couple things we’re most grateful for. It’s really refreshing to hear about my kids’ feelings of gratitude rather than the usual bemoaning of chores. This year, one of the things I’m most grateful for is my fellow crafters and the creative community.

In case you haven’t noticed by now, I take making things pretty seriously. One of the reasons why crafting is so much fun for me is because of the camaraderie you feel when building something with someone else and the feeling of accomplishment whether you get when you complete a challenge yourself or with others. There’s really nothing like that feeling of triumph.

When we think about it, crafting and thanksgiving have a lot in common…

  • You should take time to celebrate both. Whether it be that wonderful doodle you’ve posted on your fridge of stick people with a variety of rainbows, hearts, and clouds, or warming up with some cider after tackling that pile of leaves in the backyard, take the time to celebrate the little things.
  • Both bring people together. Paper Punk isn’t age specific: young people can do it and older people love it. It can be nice to shut off the television, slow down and create together.
  • Both can be a humbling experience. Getting back to making with our hands reminds us of our creative capacity as human beings.

Every craft is like a piece of thanksgiving. We’ll have some of our favorites out to entertain our family and friends while the turkey is in the oven and we hope you do too. We’re grateful to be a part of this community and it makes us happy knowing we’re a part of your thanksgiving too.

November 23, 2016 by Grace Hawthorne

Accessorize Your Space with Paper Punk

Besides the educational value and downright fun Paper Punk provides when constructing your kit, the end result can be both gratifying and visually stunning.

You may be wondering, ok what now? What else can you do with your Paper Punk after you’ve made your masterpiece aside from basking in the afterglow of neural stimulation? What about turning your smart into art by displaying it in your work or living space?

Accessorizing your space with Paper Punk provides a “pop” for any room, dinner table, or office space. Show off your creation at home or work — the family room, bedroom, and office are great spaces to do just that and here’s why.

Family Room:

The family room is usually home to your TV, bookshelf, family portraits and guests. Accessorizing this room with the things you love like your Paper Punk creations will add to the narrative of the room and provide a little insight on you. Not only does Paper Punk provide great abstract art for the room, it also is an awesome activity for all of your guests to join in on the fun and leave a piece of them with you.

Bedroom:

Minimalist bedrooms make for the best rooms for Paper Punk to provide a splash of color while still keeping decor to a minimum.

Office Space:

For your office space, don’t be afraid to show off your most creative designs. Be prepared for conversations to ensue around your creations because co-workers will definitely ask about them. We still have up our Punkolantern from Halloween and it’s garnered a lot of interest. Many people put their graphic art piece on their desk or in common areas to share their eye-candy creation.

You’ll find accessorizing your space with Paper Punk as easy as it is to make it!

#MakeSomething and accessorize!