All through the history, artist has expressed themselves regarding the social realities of the world like war. Compare and contrast the Eugene Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People to Pablo Picasso's Guernica. How do these two artists distinct in their visualization of war? How do you think today's artists would respond to the war in Iraq or Afghanistan? Are there illustrations you might site? How do they distinct from Picasso and Delacroix?
Artists will for all time be responding to the effects of poverty, war, injustice and suffering in their work. Of course this is not the mere role of the artist, as we see just as much beauty and experimentation also.
Though we might not yet be seeing the work from artists in Iraq or Afghanistan yet in our museums, it doesn't mean that the art is not being made. As long as the topics are there, artists will be creating work to reflect the times, the emotions and have symbols which represent the story of the struggle.