- Reflexivity - 'The post-modern artist is "reflexive" 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, C (2000)
- Relativist thinking - 'Postmodernism is associated with relativism. Relativism is the idea that "anything goes". Saugstad, A (2001)
- Rejection of modernist thinking - 'The seemingly anti-modern stance involves a basic rejection of the tenets of Modernism; that is to say, a rejection of the doctrine of the supremacy of reason, the notion of truth, the belief in the perfectability of man, and the idea that we could create a better, if not perfect, society.' Witcombe, C (2000)
- Non-universalist thinking - 'The postmodern is deliberately elusive as a concept, avoiding and much as possible the modernist desire to classify and thereby delimit, bound, and confine. Postmodernism partakes of uncertainty, insecurity, doubt, and accepts ambiguity. Witcombe, C (2000)
- Pluralism - 'Let me first say that I believe postmodernism represents an important virtue. This virtue is pluralism.' Saugstad, A (2001)
- Irony - 'Deconstructive postmodernism is seen perhaps as anti-modern in that it seems to destroy or eliminate the ingredients that re believed necessary for a worldview, such as God, self, purpose, meaning, a real world, and truth. (This point of view, though, that we need a worldview comprised of notions of God, self, purpose, etc, is itself a modernist one.)' Witcombe, C (2000)
- Deconstructivism - 'Deconstructive postmodernism is seen perhaps as anti-modern in that it seems to destroy or eliminate the ingredients that re believed necessary for a worldview, such as God, self, purpose, meaning, a real world, and truth.' Witcombe, C (2000)
- Linguistic idealism - 'Reality does not determine language, language determines reality.” This position may be called linguistic idealism, a radical and quite bizarre idea that language constructs reality.' Saugstad, A (2001)
2. Use a quote by Witcombe (2000) to define the Post-Modern artist.(page 24)
'The post-modern artist is "reflexive" 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.'
3. Use the table on pages 47 and 48 in your ALVC handbook to summarize the list of the features of Post-Modernity.
Postmodernism encompasses many different types of ideas and beliefs that may be different. The main value is that not one idea or belief is wrong. Anything can be considered 'art' without anyone else having to agree to what art actually is. It throws away the concepts of modernism and explores the idea that anything is possible.
Use this summary to answer the next two questions.
4. Research Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994)
in order to say what features of the work could be considered Post-Modern.
Weiwei's art has aspects of post-modernism because he takes old Han Dynasty urns which would be an interesting artifact by themselves but by putting a Coca-Cola logo on it, the urn has an entirely different meaning. 'Through his work Ai addresses issues pertinent to contemporary China; notably the loss of historic material culture due to rapid modernization and the effects of the global economy on traditional modes of production.' (artlyst.com, 2011)
'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994)
6. Research British artist Banksy's street art, and analyze the following two works by the artist
to discuss how each work can be defined at Post-Modern.(Use your list from question 3.)
Banksy has postmodern aspects in his art because his work is very ironic. He creates street art with a message. His stencil of 'Flower Riot'' creates a powerful message about riots and love. Flowers are a gift someone gives a loved one and to put it into the hands of a possible rioter who looks very violent makes the audience think. Banksy's other work 'Los Angeles' places the typical caveman with fast food of today. I think he is taking a dig at how lazy we have become with food and how excessive. Especially when compared with the cavemen of our past. Cavemen used to hunt or gather their food everyday, whereas in todays society all we have to do is get in our cars and go through the drive-thru.
Flower Riot
Los Angeles (2008)
http://www.artlyst.com/articles/ai-weiwei-takes-on-coca-cola-in-new-london-exhibition
