Why did you choose this idea?
I chose this idea because it was a recent event that really impacted me. Unfortunately, in our culture, “cancel culture” is really common; especially among celebrities or influencers. My project is a tribute to music group Monsta X’s member Wonho who was accused back in October 2019 of smoking and owing people money from before 2015. Although these were all rumors coming from no evidence and from 2 unreliable sources (who are in fact known for creating false rumors), the public/media quickly turned against him. Even his own company terminated his contract with his group and was pronounced a former member of Monsta X. It’s been about 4 months; he hasn’t been heard from and his former company Starship Ent. still refuses to speak about the issue; however, fans are still very vocal about this unfair treatment. I picked this topic because I still refuse the accept the injustices Wonho has faced and I truly believe cancel culture is toxic. Throughout these years, he has visibly grown and matured into a better person who always puts others before him. He has clearly displayed moral growth and has truly shown what it is like to learn from past mistakes (he was only about 21 when this whole issue people claimed happened). Despite his growth, people still refuse to allow him to prove his innocence, but still hope that his name gets cleared.
What did you hope to communicate?
I hope to communicate how participating in “cancel culture” is toxic to our society and can sometimes result in ruining an innocent person’s life. This type of reaction also does not allow the accused person to really “come back” from these sort of accusations. Even after apologizing and being proved innocent, celebrities often never have these issues removed from their lives. People always remind them of past mistakes. I believe that in certain situations, society should forgive them; the general public often forget that those same celebrities/influencers are still also humans that make mistakes, and also often forget how certain mistakes should be forgiven. Cancel culture just creates an atmosphere where people believe someone can never redeem themselves and learn from past mistakes. Although some offences are too severe to receive forgiveness, people should not live in fear that they can never mature and grow morally. Most importantly I focused on communicating and portraying a common ideal that “cancel culture” holds, which is “guilty until proven innocent.”
How successful do you think you were?
I think I was pretty successful in conveying my message because I created this piece while I was feeling raw emotions towards this specific situation. I didn’t just want to sit down and outline what I wanted to draw or write like how I normally do when I want to create something. Instead I waited until I was “inspired” to create a piece that would truly reflect what I was feeling during that moment.
What would you do different if you did it again?
I really liked how it came out because it was “spontaneous,” and I did not focus on how the final result would look like but more on the massage I wanted to convey through my piece. So, I don’t think I would change any part of my drawing, except maybe I would use a bigger sheet of paper.
What is another idea you might explore through “shocking art”?
Another idea I would like to explore through shocking art is maybe environmental issues. Before I had the idea of making shocking art on “cancel culture” I wanted to experiment with shocking art dealing with environmental issues, such as deforestation. I was originally going to display a “burning” tree by using a lighter and then photoshop a picture I would have taken of a tree near my house. However, I am satisfied with my final decision to focus on “cancel culture.”
Brianna 