Postmodernism...

Le Carbusier, Villa Savoye, Poissy, 1928-9

-  This building had functionality and neutrality, no individuality.

Modernism practise =

- Originality

- Innovation

- Individualism

- Progress

- Purity

- Experimentation

- Seriousness 

Postmodernism condition characterised by:

- Exhaustion

- Pluralism

- Pessimism

- Dillusionment with the idea of absolute knowledge

But some overlap

Modernism and Postmodernism related

Modernism:

- Expression of:

Modern life/ technology/ new materials/ communication [Modernity]

Postmodernism:

- Reaction to:

Modern life/ technology/ new materials/ communication [Postmodernity]

Jean Tinguely 'Homage to New York' 1960

Was placed directly outside the museum of modern art, it was an anti aesthetic, postmodern gesture which had no progressive message, it was also designed to eventually self destruct although this turned out to be a failing design aspect.

Origins of Postmodernism:

Beginnings 1960s

Established as term 1970s

Recognisable style 1980s

Dominated theoretical discourse 1980s and 90s

Today: Tired and simmering

Fielder: Post culture, rejected previous culture of modernist elitist.

- Contra modernism attacks modernism.

Uses of the word "Postmodernism":

- after modernism

- the historical era following the modern

- contra modernism

- equivalent to 'late capitalism'

- artistic and stylistic eclecticism

- 'global village' (world is reduced: modern railway, telephone) Postmodernism is totally interconnected.

- According to Charles Jencks modernism dies on the 15th July 1972 at 3:32pm, the moment of the demolition Pruitt. Which was a post war building with modernist architecture. It was made as a cheap, affordable and equal building but soon turned in the ghetto slums for the under classed, it forced people with crime and was then bulldozed less than 20 years after it had been built. It was a failed piece of modernist architecture.

- Modernism got it wrong

- Postmodernism- attitude of questioning convention.

- Plan Voison 1927- Utopia and technological determinism.

- Belief new technologies will make the world better, the internet has bought us together but gives opportunities for crime.

- Postmodernism: Everyone is unique and different. New voices can be heard.

- ' I am a monument' monumentality and enforcement to be the same.

- Questioning values of modernism, forcing one dimensional vision on everyone.

- Postmodernism- only rule = no rules.

- Society starts to get confused, although all the new options are positive, kitsch.

- Park Hill flats in Sheffield built on a hill in 1960, an example of post war modernism architecture. Designed for everyone, now a slum and the people who live there raised a petition to have it demolished. But the state says its an important piece of modernist architecture.

- Urban splash designed a re-generation of Park Hill which had a Postmodern gloss.

- AT&T building- Philip Johnson NYC 1982, made modernist style more original.

- Once modernist- no longer regular, unordered.

- Mixing old and new.

- Postmodernism takes the seriousness of modernism and makes it more jokey.

- Qoute from Prince Charles about a modernist piece of architecture:

' Is somebody proposing to dive from this tower?'

Prince Charles hates modernism and postmodernism.

- Leeds magistrates court is a piece of ill thought out postmodernism architecture.

- Quilan Terry, The Maitland is Prince Charles's favourite piece of postmodern architecture.

Postmodern conditions could be summarised as a disbelief, as metanarratives (total belief system, vision of world which seeks to believe where we are going, will fail, vision of certain elitist ideoligys.

Technology and progress will save us?

- Failure of communism.

- Postmodernism undermines, exposes and reveals flaws of the way of the past.

Result = crisis in confidence.

- Modern movement- postmodern aesthetics.

- Roylitchenstein ' This must be the place' 1965

postmodern attitude in fine art.

- Pop artists point was to attack seriousness of art- sarcastic.

- High art/low art divide- one big mess.

beginning to crumble.

- Las Vegas- postmodern city?

- Playground of reinvention, we should learn from Las Vegas as its ultimately progressive.

Its all in Las Vegas, its positive to follow.

Decorated sheds- casinos and buildings.

Built individualy and developed.

Each shed reflects individuality.

- Postmodern dystopia, Las Vegas is a loss inself, failure?

- Andy Warhol- peoples identies change. It changes the status of the artist in postmodernity. It was more about the image of celebrity.

He always said he didnt understand art. He believed we are all famous for 15 minutes.

Leveling out artist and celebrity.

Formalism.

- Total rejection of art saving the world.

- Jackson Pollock- distilling all purity of painting.

He uses expression, emotion and paint.

Lampooned by Pop artists.

- Andy Warhols Oxidation painting. He peed on metallic paint until it began to rot.

- Art as communication on device as fraud.

- Piero Manzoni 'Artists shit' 1961.

This artist shat in a tin and signed it, he then sold it for thousands of pounds. People couldnt have been sure if it was in there, so they either wasted money buying fake shit or if they opened it to check and the contents was true what it said on the tin, then they would have ruined the piece of art.

- Van Gogh 'Pheasant shoes' seeks to make us feel bonded with the owner of the shoes.

- Kraftwerk: embrases new technologies, half serious half jokey.

Postmodernism:

Culture where we can reinvent ourselves continuessly.

An inconclusion:

- Postmodernism is a vague disputed term.

- Po- mo attitude of questioning.

SPACE FOR NEW VOICES.