Foot Soldiers

The artwork is called Foot Soldiers, and it was made by renowned artist Christopher Griffith. The project takes the form of a collection of images that all convey the same message about the day-to-day activities and employment of a shoe shiner in New York City. The artist's task in this piece is to depict a group of society's workers who contribute significantly but receive little, if any, credit. The relationship between the artist and the community is compared to that of an activist. Both the artist and the city's shoe shiners gain from the effort. Through the project, the artist is able to engage the entire country – as well as the globe – through utilizing world-class photographic skills. The shoe shiners benefit from the project mainly through having their day to day work activities communicated and brought out beautifully in a world-class photography project. Through the project, Christopher Griffith was able to not only engage the lovers of art in New York City but also across the globe with a particular focus on the South and Central America countries. The entire project is a creation bringing together 52 shoe shiners and conducting oral interviews to reveal the personal pride each of these workers takes in day-to-day work, the struggles they encounter, and the terrible and dark pasts that have led them to this path. This is the story that lies behind the numerous photographs presented by Christopher Griffith to the world. Beyond this project, Christopher Griffith works to ensure that the section of the society with the least voice is provided with a platform to showcase their beauty and pride. For Christopher Griffith, art for social change can be defined as the investments in the art which gear towards ensuring the community is sensitized on the various social issues. Christopher Griffith is at the peak of his career, and his work is always getting better with every new dawn. One of the most noticeable impacts of the project was shifting the artist's focus from the contemporary art culture environment to an area where art is a tool for activism. The main profit realized from this project was in the form of social change currency. At the end of the project, the shoe shiners benefitted more than any other party from the project. Apart from the social change currency, the artist realized monetary profits from the various purchases around the world. The author has their biography linked to this project, and it is an intimate undertaking for him. Similar to most of the shoe shiners, there is a turn-around story for the author presented in the project. The author was once a scientist but opted to do photography instead because he was passionate about the latter. The project was without bias or hypocrisy, and the integrity of the artist to the public remains intact. The New York community was not only given a chance to learn about one of the critical sections shaping it up but also grounds for the various members of the community and the artist to embed (Griffith).

The art is mainly photographs of the worker's hands and their tools of work. The photographs are in both digital and print mediums. The photographs are showcased on the artist's website that has been the main presentation in many exhibitions. The photographs are world-class, and this is evident in their resolution, composition, and the manner in which they blend into the central message by the artist. The art is symbolic; presenting the day to day work activities of the shoe shiners as well as the story behind their careers (Griffith).

The process of creation involved oral interviews and photographs. While the interviews were undertaken through face to face and group conversations, the pictures required setting up the diagnostic outdoor photo shoot equipment. The entire project was within the stipulated professional and ethical requirements (Griffith).

The work fits into the social justice categorization of activism. The project is not only shaped up by goals which are realistic, attainable, and measurable, but also achieves all the objectives it set out in the beginning. Apart from being sustainable in both the production and presentation, the project can be expanded and replicated in other community settings. The audience of the project extends beyond the New York City community to involve every community with shoe shiners and related workers. The audience is not only aware of the role they play as participants, but also the impact their participation has on art and the central message of the artist. The artist finances the work. The artist claims the work’s authorship in its entirety (Griffith).

Meaning in work is derived from the community. The author showcases a section of the city in a bid to sensitize the greater public about the composition and embedment of the New York Community. The work demands slight or superficial knowledge of the political and historical context undergirding the work and covers a great and important section of the community (Griffith).





Works Cited

Griffith, Christopher. "Overview — Christophergriffith." Christophergriffith, CHRISTOPHERGRIFFITH.COM, 1 June 2017, www.christophergriffith.com/overview/. Accessed 2 October 2017.

"Christopher Griffith Interview." Interview by A Photo Editor. aPhotoEditor, aPhotoEditor, 10 June 2017, aphotoeditor.com/2009/03/06/christopher-griffith-interview/. Accessed 2 October 2017.