Postmodernism // 12th October 2011
Postmodernism // 12th October 2011
- Postmodernism is a response to modernism and considered much less serious. There is a strong combination of low and high, mixing some seriousness with some jokiness to create a happy medium.
- Modernism is often associated with experimentation, innovation, individualism, progression, purity, originality, seriousness (pushing the world forward). Modernism in which, form follows function, was standardized and generally followed by all designers at the time. The major failing of modernism is that individuals were leading the world forward.
- Postmodernism is the direct opposite of modernist ideas. Postmodernism questions, what is the point of experimenting? It's all been done before. Nothing is new and so why be an individual? Postmodernism combines working styles, seriousness is contrasted by elements of humor found in postmodern work.
- The postmodern condition is characterised by exhaustion, pluralism, pessimism and dillusionment with all absolute knowledge.
- Modernism was an expression of technology at the time.
- Postmodernism is a reaction to the conditions of modernism.
- Although postmodernism and modernism are very different things, some factors of the two overlay; modern life, technology, new materials and communication.
Jean Tinguely 1960
- "Homage to New York"
- Some consider this to be the end of modernism, however many others consider modernism to still be on going; 'How can there be a time after a period of modernity?'
- His sculpture was created to represent technology ruining the world, and emphasises a negative impression towards art. It demonstrated how technology is not saving us, but it is however essentially ruining us and the world around; a very negative impression of modernist art work.
- Origins of Post Modernism:
- 1917 ‘Nihilistic, amoral post modern men’
- 1964 New culture against high culture of modern art
Timeline of Postmodernism
- 1960: beginning of Postmodernism
- 1970: postmodernism established as a term "Jencks"
- 1980: postmodernism becomes recognisable as a style
- 1990: theoretical style
"postmodernism" - late capitolism (Jameson)
Postmodernism means artistic and stylistic eclecticism - (post modern as a term to describe a particular style of art)
Many people question how we can live in a time after modernism?
"Global village phenomena"
Charles Jencks claims that modernism dies and postmodernism begins on 15th July 1972 3.32pm, the demolition of the Pruitt-Igoe development in St. Louis. "The language of post modern architecture" (1977).
Modernist social housing were filled with the underclass, the plain and basic aesthetic led to vandalism and the demolition of this type of building symbolises the start of the postmodernist era. A more recent example of this is the Park Hill Flats in Shefflied. At the beginning of the 21st century the Park Hill flats were associated with failed architecture and design. The local people wanted ti to be blown up, but like the demolition of the Pruitt-Igoe development in St. Louis. This then created a very negative attitude towards social housing. The listed status of the building meant that demolition was impossible and so "urban splash" stepped in to regenerate the Park Hill flats.
Flaws of Modernism are that architecture now controls humans and life, this means that only one style of architecture is used throughout the entire world. Postmodernism creates an attitude surrounding questions, it becomes a reaction to rules. Postmodernism questions why we follow the rule of ‘form follows function’.
Architects were the first people to begin to discuss and consider postmodernism.
The only rule post modernism has is that there are no rules.
The ideal city "Le Corbusier" - plan Voisin (1927)
- This idea becomes perfection on paper, however in reality humans begin to ruin the world around us.
- There is no individuality and no unique style
- Utopia & Technological determinism
- Meis Van der Rohe and Phillip Johnson
- An example of postmodernist design.
- The Seagram building is a skyscraper located
in midtown Manhattan. It currentlystands as one
of the finest examples of aesthetic design and a
masterpiece of corporate architecture. The
structure and international style it was built in
has had dramatic influences of current American
architecture.
- Designed by Phillip Johnson
- An example a postmodernist design
- Represents a grandfather clock and has a
distinct feel of postmodern 'jokiness' about
the design. The AT&T building is now more
commonly known as the Sony tower (NY).
The building became instantly controversial
for it's ornamental top but relished for it's
fascinating 7 story high arched entrance.
- Guggenheim museum, Bilbao (1997)
- Designed by architect Frank Gehry
- This building represents my earlier focuses on 'truth to
materials'. The purpose of the building was not Gehry's
initial focus when designing the architectural piece,
however he focused more heavily on the aesthetic
appearance and how it would be seen by the audience.
- Neue Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany
- Designed by James Stirling (1977-1983)
- A more recent piece of postmodern design, the building
was made to look as though it is falling down, a unique
piece of design in the 20th century. The buildings most
prominent feature is the central circular atrium which it
has since become famous for.
- An example of local postmodern design is Leeds Magistrates court.
- Quintan Terry (1993) had a much more conservative attitude towards postmodernism.
J-F Lyotord "The postmodern condition" (1979)
- Incredulity towards meta-narrative.
- Meta-narrative: Totaling belief system (religion).
- Modernism as a meta-narrative which resulted in a crisis in confidence.
- Modernism as a meta-narrative which resulted in a crisis in confidence.
- "Where is the world going?" "What are we going to do?"
- Modern Movements: postmodern aesthetics.
- High art / Low art divide begins to crumble.
- Modern City=Utopia / Postmodern City=Dystopia
Roy Lichtenstein (1965) - taking a comic book (something humorous) and giving it importance or value.
"Bladerunner" - postmodern film
Everything is dark - human's don't know if they are human's - no set rules - everything is dysfunctional
Andy Warhol
- Postmodern sentiment
- Marilyn Monroe Diptych (1962)
- This isn't a piece of art but a statement of design about how society creates stars and celebrities.
- Technology is flawed and kitch.
1950's: purest forms of modernist paintings
- Franz Klein 1967 "rage and anger"
- True to materials
Robert Venturi 1972
- Las Vega: Postmodern City ?!
- Herolds the future of culture
- Crazy city
- 'Jokiness'
- Freedom to let styles clash
Roy Litchenstein 1965
- Red brushstroke painting.
- Litchenstein is laughing at the idea of painting.
- Postmodern humour.
Andy Warhol
- mimicking 'Jackson Pollock'
- oxidisation "literally taking the piss"
- urinating on copper to create a chemical reaction with the paint.
- direct attack on the work of others.
People now begin to look at art through cost and money value rather than through emotions.
- David Shrigley 2000 'Art Lovers'.
Piero Manzoni 1961
- 'Artist's Shit
- Manzoni canned his own faeces and signed it as an artist would sign their own work. He then sold it for lots of money to represent his opinion that art is 'shit', there was no pleasant outcome to his work.
- Advertising is now seen as the greatest form of 20th century art.
- Postmodernism in music; hiphop recycles funk and jazz and makes it new.
- Form over function; memphis group (Chest of Drawers design).
Crisis in confidence; freedom, new possibilities, sexual diversity, multicultural.
- Sex Pistols "God save the queen"
> Negative Postmodern view.
> Feel of freedom
Quotes.
Robert Venturi "Complexity and Contradiction inModern Architecture" 1962 (published in 1966)
- "I like elements which are hybrid rather than 'pure', compromising rather than 'clean', distorted rather than 'straight-forward', ambiguous rather than 'articulated', perverse as well as impersonal..."
from Jencks, C & Kropf, K (1997 Ed) Theories and Manifestoes of contemporary architecture, Chichester UK.
- 1972 Learning from Las Vegas: Robert Venturi, Denise Scott-Brown & Steve Izenour
- In 1977 book 'The language of postmodern architecture' Charles Jencks ironically states that 'Modern architecture died in St. Louis, Missouri on July 15th, 1972 at 3.32pm' when the Pruitt-Igoe housing development was blown up.
- "Generally post-modern aritsts like to mix the highbrow and the populist, the alienating and the accessible, and the 'sample' elements from different styles and eras...
... now you can reinvent yourself endlessly, gaily pick 'n' mixing your way through the gaudy fragment of a shattered culture".
Simon Reynolds - The Guardian 1990
Conclusion.
- A vague disputed term
- Pro-mo attitude of questioning conventions (especially modernism)
- Pro-mo aesthetic; multiplicity of styles and approaches
- Shift in thought and theory investigation; "crisis in confidence" Lyotard.
- Space for 'new voices'.
- Rejection of technology determinism?
