PUFF, PUFF, PASS: ART FOR THE GREEN AGE

Words and online curating by Adriana Mercedes Padilla

Art is the vehicle that anticipates cultural changes. Times before the appearance of high-tech machinery during World War I, modern art was already depicting abstract expressions of anxiety and discomfort over an uncertain future. Before the dawn of reality show mania and social media popularity, Andy Warhol had already declared that in the future everyone would get their fifteen minutes of fame. Much like these examples, marijuana's increasing acceptance in our culture was anticipated by likeminded artists.

Images and symbols end up determining the conscious processing of the common man. Perhaps, this is why art always has its fingers on the pulse. These images are taken from subjective experiences, yet they connect with viewers and spark the consolidation of mass feelings and opinions. Thus, they anticipate and generate society's interest in accepting marijuana as a part of their lives. Here, are some of the most relevant works inspired by cannabis, its use and social implications. Artists use a variety of media like traditional methods of painting and drawing, as well as techniques rooted in contemporary art trends like Net Art, Gif Art, Video Art and BioArt. All works act as personal stories to an extent because of their depiction of the independent experience of marijuana. On the other hand, the works have a connection to society's handling of the subject, its history and its current existence in our post-modern world taking influence from pop culture and technology.