WEEK 2 : Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

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

• Complex phenomenon - Grenz. S 
• The quest to move beyond Modernism - Grenz. S 
• Associated with relativism. The idea that "anything goes." - Saugstad, A. 
• Society is fragmented and there is "no grand narrative." - Saugstad, A. 
• "The period in which we now live." Composed by the two words ‘post’ and ‘modern’. ‘Post’ is Latin for ‘after’, and ‘modernism’ refers to the modern period. - Saugstad, A. 
• The idea of social constructivism. "The idea that there is no objective knowledge or absolute representation of reality." - Saugstad, A. 
• Linguistic idealism "Reality does not determine language, language determines reality." - Cupitt, D. 
• Involves the rejection of the modern mind-set, but launched under the conditions of modernity. - Grenz. S
  
  
  

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 de-masking his or her own pretensions, and promoting processes of self–consciousness." - Witcombe, C (2000)


Summarize Post-Modernity.

Post-modernity is widely considered a rival to the ever manipulative ideologies of modernism. Where modernism relies on a sense of faith for its themes of social and cultural unity, postmodernism ideas are driven by disunity and social and cultural pluralism. As well as that, modernism also focuses more on meaning and the signified, postmodernism pays more attention to a play with surfaces without concern for depth. Modernity ideas also support a dichotomy of high and low culture, however post-modernity's hybrid cultural forms cancel high and low categories. Within post-modernity ideologies, art is respected more by its process and production as opposed to modernism's respect for the unique object and finished work. It is also believed that modernism supported a seriousness of intention and purpose where postmodernism challenged any official seriousness and rather subverts any sense of earnestness.


What features of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo' (1994) are Post-Modern.

Contemporary Chinese artist, architect and political activist Ai Weiwei is openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights and this is evident in his works. According to Ambrozy (2011) Weiwei is opposed to being labelled as a dissident.

"Weiwei’s experimental conceptualism was precipitated by the infectious creative atmosphere of Beijing’s East Village, which begat some of his most iconic images: the Coca-Cola urn." (Ambrozy, L. 2011)

I believe Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo' has features of postmodern themes because it challenges the grand narratives within the communist built structure of China's society. I would imagine that the inclusion of the Coca-Cola logo on the historical Chinese urn would have mostly been considered offensive in Chinese society as it almost implies the idea of a foreign invasion. Coca-Cola is a widely recognised American brand, and its presence somewhat corrupts the cultural and historic nature of the urn. 

How can British artist Banksy's street art be defined as Post-Modern?


"We can’t do anything to change the world until capitalism crumbles. In the meantime we should all go shopping to console ourselves." (Banksy, 2007)

"When you go to an art gallery you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires." (Banksy, 2007)


"We don’t need any more heroes; we just need someone to take out the recycling." (Banksy, 2007)

"I am unable to comment on who may or may not be Banksy, but anyone described as being 'good at drawing' doesn't sound like Banksy to me." (www.banksy.co.uk)

"I use whatever it takes. Sometimes that just means drawing a moustache on a girl's face on some billboard, sometimes that means sweating for days over an intricate drawing. Efficiency is the key."  (www.designiskinky.com)

Naked Man image by Banksy, 

on the wall of a sexual health 

clinic in Park Street, Bristol.

Work on building in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, August 2008

Banksy's stencil on the waterline of The Thekla, an entertainment boat in central Bristol.

I believe we can define Banksy's street art as Post-modern because a majority of his works encourage the audience to pay just as much attention to their appearance than they do to their purpose. He achieves this by creating his works in locations that in a sense blend or interact with the environment they have been placed in. Although his work locations come across rather intentional, I feel Banksy challenges any official seriousness his works may have by sometimes incorporating irony or just generally playing with his location. Further evidence we should regard Banksy's work as post-modern is because of his approach to the process of the works, as he states "efficiency is the key" when explaining his technique which shows he cites art more as a process and production as opposed to modernity ideologies that focus on art as a finished work. 

Reference List:

• Ambrozy, L. (2011) Ai Weiwei's Blog: Writings, Interviews, and Digital Rants. Massachusetts, US: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press.
  
• Witcombe, C (2000) Modernism & Postmodernism. Retrieved from http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/modpostmod.html
• Grenz, S. (1996) A Primer on Postmodernism. Michigan, US: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
• Saugstad, A. (2001) Postmodernism: What is it, and What is Wrong With It? Retrieved from http://goinside.com/01/1/postmod.html
• Banksy (2007) Wall and Piece. UK: Random House.
• www.banksy.co.uk
• www.designiskinky.com

WEEK 1 : Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'

What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

I believe the word claymation originated from the process of stop-action animation using clay models. (Murphy, M. 2008) Immediately when I think of the word claymation, I reminisce of a range of television series that I remember from my childhood. Otmar Gutmann's Pingu is one series in particular that never failed to amuse me. The series is about a small family of anthropomorphic penguins who live in the South Pole.

What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?

Personally I believe both terms have a misleading sense about them. I would imagine that if something was being described as a Garden of Eden, it would typically have a sense of grace and beauty about it. But as the work is being described as surrealistic as well, I am led to believe that it also consists of something that contrasts from what gives it the sense similar to a Garden of Eden. In my opinion, "all that is natural goes awry" describes how the nature of the work gradually divides itself from its physical form, to the extent where it almost becomes something that viewers wouldn't believe was intentional.

What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?


I believe it would be acceptable to state that Djurberg's work confronts viewers with a complexity of emotions as I would imagine the graphic nature composed with the fictional sense of the work may encourage viewers to interpret her work in a variety of ways.

'Experiment' (2009) Venice Biennale

How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?


There is a sense of childhood story ideas and innocence within Djurberg's work as she contrasts a mixture of positive and negative themes within a fictional, dream-like depiction. Both the positive and negatives themes could be based on the idea of how children's stories usually have an obvious protagonist and antagonist. An example of this children's story concept are the fictional characters; little red riding hood (positive) and the wolf (negative). The use of clay modelling may also suggest a sense of innocence as the character models have a child-like cartoon nature about them.


There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?


I think this fascination has come about since designers have realised that creating a strong contrast within there work can make it so much more effective in terms of how an audience may interpret it. The contrast between the innocent and disturbing nature within Djurberg's work allows a mature audience to be able to reflect on how maybe someone of a young nature would interpret the work.

Why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?


In my opinion, I think Djurberg's work was chosen for the Venice Biennale because it is capable of intriguing a wide range of viewers in the sense that the theme of the work is very fictional but can encourage an audience to be perceptive due to the strong contrast between the nature of innocence and disgust within her work.


Add some of your own personal comments on her work.


Another feature of Djurberg's work that interested me, was the use of lighting within the work space. I believe it would have added a gloomy and imaginative nature to the work that may have even brought the fictional ideas ever closer to reality, as experiencing the work would have almost been like you were walking around inside the artist's mind.

Reference List:

• Murphy, M. (2008) Beginner’s Guide to Animation: Everything you need to know to get Started. New York, US: Watson-Guptill
• http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg