Last Thursday, Los Angeles based artist Plastic Jesus displayed a controversial new piece of art on Hollywood Boulevard, just in time for the Academy Awards. The installation depicts an Oscar snorting cocaine with a plaque reading, “Hollywood’s Best Part.” The artist removed the statue after a complaint, but planned to display it again on Melrose Avenue, according to the NY Daily News.

Known as the ‘Banksy of LA’, Plastic Jesus strives to uncover hidden truths about culture, politics and world events. This was not his only shot at the untold version of Hollywood – he erected a similar statue in the wake of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death from a heroin overdose. This ‘Addicted Oscar’ appeared on Hollywood Boulevard and got the same attention the current installation is receiving. Buzzfeed has already dedicated a post to the artist’s creation, and has been quoted saying Plastic Jesus is the artist to watch.

Art used as symbol for societal problems is not a new concept by any means. What better way to get the world to hear your concern than to make art that will permeate media outlets? Art can isolate, visualize and perpetuate cultural issue, and it has.

Similarly, Zatista artist, Johan Wahlstrom, uses art to underline themes he thinks society should be paying attention to. His hauntingly dark paintings raise questions of privacy, the war on drugs, and governmental control. Four of these paintings have strong images of our presidents surrounded by dark gloomy faces while other pictures depict sorrow and suicide, scarcely using any color. In a Q&A with Artvoices Magazine, Wahlstrom said House of Lies explores politics, hatred, greed, poverty, wealth, envy, religion and corruption.

Wahlstrom says, “My intention is clear – I want to influence people to have a better daily life. Influence people to think about what is truly important and what is less important. My series aims to illustrate the hypocrisy and corruption that defines the world and should be fought to incite positive change.”

Another Zatista artist, Debbie Pacheco’s paintings focus more narrowly on a technology dependent society. Many of her works depict those missing the art or world around them due to their captivation with phone conversations. ‘Detached’ was inspired by a woman the artist observed who remained unphased by an Andy Warhol because she was texting. In her description of the painting she says, “The contrast was amusing. The images in the painting were almost mocking her while she remained unaware.”

Debbie Pacheco believes the now global community is increasingly connected by technology but disconnected to its surroundings. This disconnect in culture produces lonely, isolated individuals whom she depicts in her contemporary, abstract paintings. ‘Disconnected’ catches moments where women are entranced by technology but disconnected from the world they walk through.

Art is often thought provoking, but some art sends a very specific message. These artists carry a message throughout their art that they hope will resonate enough to inspire change. Whether you agree or disagree with the message, the art did what it was meant to do — start a conversation.