Antennae

I believe saying art is an early warning system means that art is the medium through which subjects of the human condition are brought into social thought. In particular, photos have the most power in doing so. Instead of a painted image of someone grieving or someone in pain, photos provide this form of proof, that, until current years, couldn't be argued against. They have the ability to show real people in real places undergoing real social pain, cultural pain, physical pain. This is why I feel photos are tied most to the quote Ezra Pound wrote, saying artists are the antenna of the human race. Through such mediums as photos, primarily, artists are able to set down lightning rods of thought to invoke social and cultural change on a grass-roots level.

Also, going along with Ezra's quote, I'm called to think about what antennae actually do. They are the feelers, testing out the waters, the first to experience the new and unknown. In this sense, there is no other member of society but the art community, who seemingly live both literally and figuratively on the edge of society, even at the forefront. Sure, this may not be the case for all artists, rather that it is thought to be true only of radical artists, those that do street demonstrations, or are out and about, currently trying to change society. While these artists may be more capable of changing society radically, there are also those that I believe are able to change society gradually, through careful planning and though coupled with creativity and a spark. For example, take the animated show, 'The Simpsons'. It began with a sketch, of a few characters, as a short for a television show. From there, it grew into a primetime show, spawning consumer goods and completely changing how the world, primarily North America, viewed animation. It has seeped into, some could say, the fabric of American culture, changing and getting changed by society. This is what I mean when I say a small idea with creativity and careful planning has the ability to morph into a culture-changing force.

In conclusion, I believe artists act both as lightning rods of social thought, but also as the so-called "antennae" of the human race, always testing out the unknown waters of cultural thinking, and being the first to leave their imprint on a society.