POST-MODERN ART
Most art, but not all, since 1980 has been considered
to be Post-Modern. The traditional art methods as far as painting
and sculpture are concerned have played a subordinate part in the Post-Modernist
era. A lot of Post-Modern art beginnings have been tracked back to
Conceptual art which are believed to be the first attempts at rebelling
against Modernism art forms. Although Post-Modern art beginnings
are undetermined exactly and have been argued, Post-modernism sometimes
is said to have started in the mid-1960's when the rise of Conceptualism
occurred. The main focus and content in these art forms has changed
and there is a shift in the viewpoint (not so innocent like Conceptualism
art). During the Post-Modern era much of the sculptures were resembling
architecture. In fact, architecture is much more clear and consistent
in this time period than painting and sculpture is.
PAINTING
There are many arguments about which paintings
are considered to be Post-Modern. It is argued that most Post-Modern
paintings are considered to be masked as Late Modernism. There are
no set guidelines that distinguish the difference between Post-Modern and
Late-Modernism. From Conceptualism, Pop art, and Neo-Expressionism
is where Post-Modern painting. One Post-Modernist painter, Mark Tansey,
who points out the relationships among content, picture, and reality.
He uses deconstruction to construct images. Derrida
Queries de Man is one of Tansey's paintings. Another Post-Modern
painter, A.R. Penck, invents a personal vocabulary of pictographs in his
work. His work has a child-like characteristic to it. This can be
seen in his painting, The Demon of Curiosity.
Although his work seems meaningless, when looked at it closer, we realize
that his expressions can be decoded.
PHOTOGRAPHY
There is a close connection between photographs
and the words they convey. Post-Modern photographers are considered
to be "rephotographers" who do not take their own pictures but take them
from other mediums. Most Post-Modern photographers take images and
place them to the side of text. The problem with this type of photography
is that most Post-Modern photographers look so similar, that it is hard
to tell the difference between one photographer and another. Here
is an example of a Post-Modern photograph by Annette Lemiuex called Truth.
SCULPTURE
A common theme in Post-Modern sculpture is that
the intent of the sculpture is never fully known, therefor the viewers
are to interpret each piece in the best to their own understanding.
Ilya Kabakov is a Russian artist was one of the first Westeners to gain
international acclaim for his sculptures as Post-Modern art forms.
His most famous is Ten Characters which is a series of rooms each
expressing an unusual idea. One of the most spectacular rooms is
The
Man Who Flew Into Space from His Apartment which shows a suspended
catapult hung from the ceiling by springs.
ARCHITECTURE
One of the best known architectural movements of
the late 1900’s is post modernism. In the United States it began
during the 1960’s. Post-Modernist do not have common styles or theories
from one another. The only thin they have in common is their rejection
of the International Style (which was the most popular architectural style
until the 1950’s. Post-Modern architects believe International Style
laced variety in design due to the simple geometric shapes and lack of
design. The brutalists were the first to attack the International
Style by creating plain, huge buildings with rough exteriors. Out
of these attacks is where Post-Modern architecture began. Post-Moderism
uses elements from earlier architectural styles.
A leading Post-Modern architect, theorist, and designer
is Robert Venturi. He uses traditional
styles in which he borrows from the Italian Renaissance and other periods
and becomes one of the first Post-Modern architects to use ornamentation
on the exterior of buildings. Venturi's most famous works include the Chestnut
Hill House in Pennsylvania and the Guild House in Philadelphia.
Another very well known Post-Modern architect is
Michael
Graves. One of his most famous architectural accomplishments
is the Disney Swan and Dolphin Hotel Resort in Disney World, Orlando, Florida.
Another famous work of Graves' is his Portland Public Services Building
where he featured color and sculpture. In this building, Graves moves
away from Monotonous building forms and creates an original exterior decoration
with personal style.
Charles Moore is another
American architect to react against the monotonous styles of modern architecture.
Because he lived in California, his influence from Europe was much less
than of other American architects. The interior of his Faculty Club
for the University of California was designed with thin planes and screens
which created a combination of modern architectural images.
James Stirling is an
English architect who incorporates a variety of shapes within more complex
spatial relationships. His works also have a decorative quality that
can be seen in many of his works.
CONCLUSION
Architecture is to be said what began Post-Modernism
in all art forms. One point to remember when talking about Post-Modernism
is that there are no common characteristics to unite this particular art
movement together. The only value that unites Post-Modern art forms
under one umbrella is the fact that these artists reject the International
Style. These artists crave uniqueness rather than the old form of
plain, simple, and monotonous art forms of the past.