Friday, May 1, 2009

Postmodern Pluralism

a. Postmodern art is said to follow modernism, but it is completely different. There is no clear definition for this type of art, it is unclear and untested. A big part of postmodernism is communication. Artworks mean within cultures, they are sometimes better understood in a group or 'family' rather than alone. Postmodern art strays away from the normal art people are used to, instead, it is seen in things like conceptual art, intermedia, instillation art, collage, and multimedia. Postmodernism aims to blur the boundaries of high art and low art.

b. Feminism is in the category of postmodern art because it is an activist movement. Postmodernists try and push boundaries, which is what feminists did. Feminist theorists try to replace beauty with a messier conception of art. They also question the Aristotelian premise that great art exists in and speaks to a universal human condition. Feminists challenge assumptions about the canon of great works of art history, held by some to be the reservoir of 'the best of human thinking.' The theorists 'seek to explain how the social and historical placement of the spectator affects the meaning that came from the text.' Last of all, feminists try to make the unnoticed, noticed.

c. I think Lorna Simpson's work fits well under postmodernism because her work is composed of multiple images. She explores race and gender with her work, and mixes photography with text. Language is a big part of her work, and that is the same with postmodernism. There could be many different interpretations to her work depending on a persons opinion.

d. I chose Susan Reedy because I enjoy the look of her work. I want to create something similar to what she does but not exact. She does collage work with different found things from the past that have been forgotten. My work will incorporate more drawing as well as text and numbers.