- an art movement which was thought to be in contradiction to some aspect of modernism.
- it is a tendency in contemporary culture characterized by the problem of objection truth and inherent suspicion towards global cultural narrative or meta-narrative.
- The period in which we now live in is often called "post-modernism".
- something which evolved after 1968
- the term is used in philosophy, literature, social sciences and architecture.
- composed by two parts "post" and "modern". "post" is latin for "after", and "modernism" refers to the modern period.
- It was during Postmodernism when we started to see an “indifference to social concerns.”
- Post modernism partakes of uncertainty, insecurity, doubt, and accepts ambiguity.
- It is very closely synced to what “is also called New Age thinking.”
"The post-modern artist is "reflective" in that he/she is self-aware and consciously involved in a process of thinking about him/herself and society in a deconstructive manner, "demasking" pretensions, becoming aware of his/her cultural self in history, and accelerating the process of self-consciousness." Witcombe(2000)
During the post-modernism, people started to agree on "social and cultural pluralism". After there was an "attention to play of surfaces". People started to adapt to "simulation, visual media becoming undifferentiated equivalent forms." "hyper-reality" became much more powerful than the "real" images. There was also mixing of "pop culture" and "hybrid cultural forms". Art started to "authenticate by the audience" rather than just ny the "artist".
Ai WeiWei Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola Logo.
Ai WeiWei is one of Chinas earliest and most influential avant-garde artists. He is a self-taught artist who sparks the modern art movement in Beijing. He is influenced by Dad, Duchamp and Warhol by creating provocative and subversive photographs, installations and sculptures.
Banksy uses stencils to make statements about everything from war to politics, big business, government oppression, and the mess we're making of the environment. "Does the image mean we are powerless? Flowers are so ephemeral, so fragile. How could they possibly hurt anything? Or are the flowers a symbol of the intangible power that comes from belief and hope and that certainty of truth?." (Tommi Lou Carosella, n.d) It is also very interesting the way Banksy shows his work. A way that many people don't like and think it is vandalism. I think it is powerful and makes people look at it in a different way to what they would see if it was in a Gallery.
In 'Los Angeles'(2008), I see a cave man/ape holding a bone in one hand and a tray with fast food on the other. This is very interesting because you would never see an ape/cave man and also you would never see one holding a tray of fast food. You see a lot of ideas like this in Post-modern art as artists are now looking further into making things without meaning.
References:
http://www.artzinechina.com/display_vol_aid109_en.html
http://arnica.csustan.edu/carosella/banksystreetart/street_art_by_banksy.htm
I find it interesting how you said that artists now days are using things and symbolising things such as banksys work, by using a cave-man holding a tray of fast food and a guy holding a boquet of flowers, does it show that we are powerless? I strongly think that Banksy is contrasting the male figure with a soft touch of flowers making it contrast between two different emotions as the flowers being soft and lovely and the male figure seem dominating and angry.
ReplyDeleteI liek the points you made on post modernism and how it has changed overtime.
i find Wei Wei's works very fascinating because it relates to his own cultural background and also today's society using a global brand of coca cola. i agree with quentin that burskys work has two emotions challenging the viewer both the harshness of the male figure and the beauty of the flowers.
ReplyDeletealso the relationship between post modernism and the artists your points are very good.
"I think it is powerful and makes people look at it in a different way to what they would see if it was in a Gallery." I totally never really thought about this and agree with you, I think that having his artwork out on the street, broadens the response to the eye of the public. It is out there for us to think about and walk past and ponder upon and not to make money or success but to make a change. I think that their should be allowed more street art as such to encourage a new success of making a stand and allowing the public to start a conversation for change from it. It is powerful because it is not in a gallery because some people have a different idea on what art is in a gallery. For an example in a gallery or an exhibition you have the sterile surroundings and the preserved works. Where as out in the public I feel people can relate to it more and react with it.
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