Protect Me From What I Want, From Survival, Jenny Holzer 1983-1985 Times Square
Last time I was in London I visited the Victoria&Albert Museum Exhibition on POSTMODERNISM: Style and Subversion, 1970-1990. As I was exiting through the gift shop I was surprised to find that the book I was currently reading "White Noise" by Don DeLillo was included in the so-call postmodernist literature section. I have since been somewhat obsessed with the notion of postmodernism.
So what is postmodernism?
"If postmodernism was a territory it would be contested, if it was a style than that style would be an agglomeration of all other styles. And by the time most people had heard of it its demise had already been declared. Even at its peak in the mid-1980's postmodernism was hard to identify though there was no shortage of eveidence of its forms and effects in architecture, graphic and product design, fashion, film, photography and music. Modernism had its manifestos and schools and had been authoritatively claimed as a movement. Postmodernism was a collection of wry looks and ironic gestures. Modernists devised new windows on the world, postmodernists offered a shattered mirror, modernists affirmed the power of humans to improve and reshape the world with the aid of practical experimentation, scientific knowledge and technology, postmodernists threw together a new look for a night on the town. For postmodernism style was everything, istead of authenticity postmodernism celebrated hybridity, in place of truth postmodernism had attitude. Postmodernism was a debate on the role of style in the world, its power, its function. Style had been the glue that held the Western visual tradition together and by destabilizing the established idea of style postmodernism has been associated with a sense of revolt."
Identities, whether political or sexual were broken down, challenged and subrmerged, art was all about copying and pasting, architecture made sarcastic references to the past whilst teaming the classic with the lowly and kitch, sampling was increasingly used in music, whether pop or techno, fashion photography became increasingly assertive with its exploration of decadent consumerism and sado-masochistic sensuality and heroes such as Patrick Bateman, from Breat Easton Ellis American Psycho, emerged in post-apocalyptic futurescapes as portrayed by Blade Runner or Brazil. Was postmodernism a subversive movement that affected all major art forms for 20 years or merely a stylistic statement that withered away and lost its sarcastic edge by being fully immersed and embracing the ultra-consumerist culture which it was initially criticising? Either way the architecture is breathtaking, the music makes you shake your ass, teapots have never looked that good and the movies are spectacular so next time you happen to be in London do pay a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the exhibition is on until January 15 2012. I particularly enjoyed the second part of the exhibition which focuses on performance art and includes oustunning outfits from Blade Runner (weird to think that this Chinese-run fluorescent futurescape is meant to be LA in 2019, which now seems so close), music videos by the Talking Heads, covers from Joy Division and New Order LPs and outfits by Vivienne Westwood and Yohji Yamamoto. ENJOY!
So what is postmodernism?
"If postmodernism was a territory it would be contested, if it was a style than that style would be an agglomeration of all other styles. And by the time most people had heard of it its demise had already been declared. Even at its peak in the mid-1980's postmodernism was hard to identify though there was no shortage of eveidence of its forms and effects in architecture, graphic and product design, fashion, film, photography and music. Modernism had its manifestos and schools and had been authoritatively claimed as a movement. Postmodernism was a collection of wry looks and ironic gestures. Modernists devised new windows on the world, postmodernists offered a shattered mirror, modernists affirmed the power of humans to improve and reshape the world with the aid of practical experimentation, scientific knowledge and technology, postmodernists threw together a new look for a night on the town. For postmodernism style was everything, istead of authenticity postmodernism celebrated hybridity, in place of truth postmodernism had attitude. Postmodernism was a debate on the role of style in the world, its power, its function. Style had been the glue that held the Western visual tradition together and by destabilizing the established idea of style postmodernism has been associated with a sense of revolt."
Identities, whether political or sexual were broken down, challenged and subrmerged, art was all about copying and pasting, architecture made sarcastic references to the past whilst teaming the classic with the lowly and kitch, sampling was increasingly used in music, whether pop or techno, fashion photography became increasingly assertive with its exploration of decadent consumerism and sado-masochistic sensuality and heroes such as Patrick Bateman, from Breat Easton Ellis American Psycho, emerged in post-apocalyptic futurescapes as portrayed by Blade Runner or Brazil. Was postmodernism a subversive movement that affected all major art forms for 20 years or merely a stylistic statement that withered away and lost its sarcastic edge by being fully immersed and embracing the ultra-consumerist culture which it was initially criticising? Either way the architecture is breathtaking, the music makes you shake your ass, teapots have never looked that good and the movies are spectacular so next time you happen to be in London do pay a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the exhibition is on until January 15 2012. I particularly enjoyed the second part of the exhibition which focuses on performance art and includes oustunning outfits from Blade Runner (weird to think that this Chinese-run fluorescent futurescape is meant to be LA in 2019, which now seems so close), music videos by the Talking Heads, covers from Joy Division and New Order LPs and outfits by Vivienne Westwood and Yohji Yamamoto. ENJOY!
"AFTER ALL, SINCE IT IS FAIRLY DEAD, WE MIGHT AS WELL ENJOY PICKING OVER THE CORPSE"
"You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here? Letting the days go by..."
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle par aquanote
"Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday
I'm not sure what this could mean
I don't think you're what you seem"
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle par aquanote
"Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday
I'm not sure what this could mean
I don't think you're what you seem"
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