Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

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.

• A general and wide-ranging term which is "applied to literature, art, philosophy, architecture, fiction, and cultural and literary criticism, among others."
• Postmodernism emphasizes "the role of language, power relations, and motivations; in particular it attacks the use of sharp classifications such as male versus female, straight versus gay" etc. 
• Postmodernism "deconstructs" the ideas and values of Modernism to reveal what composes them and shows that such modernist ideas as "equality" and "liberty" are not "natural" to humankind or "true" to human nature but are ideals, intellectual constructions.
• In the postmodern understanding, "interpretation is everything; reality only comes into being through our interpretations of what the world means to us individually."
• The basic premise behind Postmodernism is that "all forms of novelty have already been explored, and that even if that wasn't true the particular emphasis on rejection of that which is old or already done only limits artists self-expression."
• "Postmodernism rejects all boundaries. This rejection also includes the boundaries between different forms and genres of art."
• Postmodern thought is, in its very essence, "an adventure and an expression of life experience."
• "Postmodernism puts everything into question and radically interrogates philosophies, strategies and world views."

http://www.essortment.com/definition-postmodernism-20903.html

http://www.moodbook.com/history/postmodernism/index.html

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/postmodernism

http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/gengloss/postm-body.html

http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/artartists/modpostmod.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism

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

“The post–modern artist is ‘reflexive’ in that he or she is self–aware and consciously involved in a process of thinking about his or her cultural self in history, in demasking his or her own pretensions, and promoting processes of self–consciousness."

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

Postmodernity impacted immensely on design and art. Postmodernity is the end of the high class being dominant. Hyperreality is a repeated attribute in postmodern images. Hyperreality exaggerates reality and seems to be more powerful than the "real" image.

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.

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist, and political activist who is active in architecture, curating, photography, film, and social and cultural criticism. The work by Weiwei; 'Han Dynasty Urn' had had the "Coca-Cola" logo hand printed onto the Urn - this being a modernist feature, on an ancient chinese artifact which presents the audience with post-modernism. He is comparing the past beliefs and traditions of the people, against present and future hope in economic progress. In doing so, you have to recognise and understand the beliefs of the people involved. For example, you could compare the beliefs and the values of the chinese elder to a young university student. Their beliefs and aspirations are likely to be very different, but they live in a world side by side. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei#2011_arrest

http://www.maryboonegallery.com/artist_info/pages/ai/detail1.html

'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.)

In the work 'Flower Riot' by Banksy, he has used colour and the subject matter to emphasize his graffiti post modernisation style. The human subject shown as a gangster type person who would not typically be holding a bunch of flowers, this is a contradiction of normal expectation. He has used colour by painting one subject in black and white only (human) contrasting against the other subject in pretty colours (flowers). Both of the foregoing contradict the other - For example, in this painting we have violence (gangster) versus calm (flowers) the use of flowers in a riot situation goes against general expectations. Therefore, the act of rioting is symbolic rather than real intention to harm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy

'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