Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

 Post-Modernism

This week's ALVC tutorial covers Post-Modernism. Use the ALVC texts and definitions from the internet to define the term and answer the following questions;

1. Define Post-Modernism using 8-10 bullet points that include short quotes.

2. Use a quote by Witcombe (2000) to define the Post-Modern artist.

3. Use the grid on pages 42 and 43 to summarize the list of the features of Post-
Modernity.

4. Use this summary to answer the next two questions.

5. Research Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994)
in order to say what features of the work are Post-Modern.

'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994), Ai Weiwei

 

Ai Weiwei dropping a Han Dynast Urn.

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 point 6.)

'Flower Riot', Banksy

Los Angeles (2008), Banksy

http://theworldsbestever.com/2008/02/new_banksy_pieces_surface_in_l.php

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/03/11/how-china-conquered-the-art-world.html

 1.  -  "A rejection of the sovereign autonomous individual with an emphasis upon anarchic collective, anonymous experience" (http://elab.eserver.org/hfl0242.html, paragraph 5)
- The concept of postmodernism has no "definite terms, boundaries, or absolute truths" (http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/postmodernism.htm, paragraph 1).
- Postmodernists don't think about things in terms of strictly right and wrong, They believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
- "Postmodernism claims to be the successor to the 17th century enlightenment" (http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/postmodernism.htm, Para. 6).
- The term is used in philosophy, literature, social sciences, and architechture.
- Postmodernism is has associations with the concept of relativism, which is the idea that "anything goes"
- the term is made up of the root words 'post', which is latin for 'after', and 'modernism' which refers to the modern period. Postmodernism's literal meaning is "after now".
- The concept rejects the idea of a grand narrative.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/postmodernism/#2
http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/postmodernism.htm
http://elab.eserver.org/hfl0242.html
ALVC book, Pg. 21/22

2. "To the dismay of progressive intellectuals, the ideology of modernism has also become the means by which the values and worldview of the West have been promoted and imposed around the world either through imperial colonialism and economic globalization, or through the ‘conditionalities’ attached to loans granted by the International Monetary Fund, and policies serving Western interests that are forced on developing countries by the World Bank."


http://arthistoryresources.net/modernism/modpostmod.html


3. Postmodernity had a big impact on art and design. Hyperreality is a common feature in postmodern images. Hyperreality seems to be seen as "more powerful" than the original. another aspect of postmodernity is the end of the high class being dominant. For example, popular culture is making its way into the art world, and is being just as accepted as "high class" art.


5. Ai Weiwei is is a Chinese artist and activist. Earlier this year, Weiwei was arrested for no apparent reason. The arrest is thought to be part of the communist party's "crackdown on intellectuals" in china. Ai Weiwei is a postmodernist, and he shows his views through his work. The Han Dynasty urn with Coca-Cola logo is postmodern in that it is a traditional chinese artifact, that has been branded with a western corporation's logo. This represents Colonialism, and economic globalization.


http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/37395/ai-weiwei-arrested-in-beijing-prompting-international-outcry/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei#2011_arrest
http://arthistoryresources.net/modernism/modpostmod.html


6. Banksy is a Bristol based street artist. His actual identity is unknown by the general public. His work often contains quite strong political messages. The image of the person throwing a bouquet of flowers as if it were a molotov cocktail is post modern because banksy has used irony, and attention to play of surfaces.The image is ironic, because the person is tossing a bouquet of flowers, which is a very non-violent thing, instead of a molotov cocktail, which is a weapon, and is what it looks like the person should be throwing. and Banksy uses attention to play of surfaces, because he uses stencil work on whatever background he can find, as opposed to painting full scenes.


ALVC book, pg. 42/43