Postmodernist Theory
Douglas Crimp begins to lay the groundwork in defining an era of postmodernist theory through showcasing work including Troy Brauntuch, Jack Goldstein, Sherrie Levine, Robert Longo, and Philip Smith. In “Pictures,” he focuses on “New Image Painting” where artists incorporate multiple contrasting, sometimes borrowed, images and a mix of styles to create new meanings that question the definitions of art. Influenced by mass media, artists contextualize the pictures to highlight what is socially constructed by re-framing, coping, adding, and omitting areas of the image. He states, “Those processes of quotation, excerption, framing, and staging that constitute the strategies of the work I have been discussing necessitate uncovering strata of representation. Needless to say, we are not in search of sources or origins, but of structures of signification: underneath each picture there is always another picture” (14). He notes that the most successful example of this is the painting “The Swimmer” by Robert Moskoqitz.
The Swimmer
Denise Scott Brown took a stand to save the architecture that is already around us, specifically the campus library at Penn State. She worked closely with Robert Venturi and went to Las Vegas which is an anti-modernist city, exactly the opposite of what traditional architects like – Loud, flashy, and dazzling. The Vegas Strip is designed to bring in visitors of the time so it is always changing with the trends to reflect the people but in a fake kind of way. I found this slow love story healing and full of friendship. This reading and podcast stress the value in watching and engaging in places, not just historical and old places, but daily places. What is being sold? What are the signs? Traffic patterns? Building sizes? Lights? Modernism created a deadend and so this book became the way out. Architecture is for everyone, not just architects, it is for the people. Their goals were to make buildings accessible, commutative, fun, and meaningful which was the start of Postmodernism. But it slowly became less intentional and more fun – too bright, colorful, and silly as it became more focused on the fun and aesthetic side of this which caused the movement to be short lived.
Listen to a podcast diving deeper into Scott Brown’s art here: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/lessons-from-las-vegas/
Denise Scott Brown
Cindy Sherman’s series, “Untitled FIlm Stills” is a comment on the media’s representation, or perhaps miss representation, of female stereotypes that splice women down by playing the roles of these different archetypes. She does this to the point of burning her own identity, making the viewer question who she really is allowing the viewer to create a narrative. Sherman is an example of postmodern art by deconstructing the identities casted onto us by society and our surroundings.
Bell Hooks explains how Postmodern ideas break down academic spaces and create opportunities to include voices of people from various backgrounds, educations, cultures, and classes. She states, “One can talk about what we are seeing, thinking, or listening to; a space is there for critical exchange” (6).
In conclusion, Postmodernism teaches us to challenge the media, places, and social constructions around us to create new meaning. Art can be found everywhere — signs, streets, architecture, pictures, and people — and we can create new art from it.