2. INTRODUCTION
In art, postmodernism was specifically a
reaction against modernism which had
dominated art theory and practice since the
beginning of the twentieth century.
3. BEGINNINGS
The term postmodernism is also widely
used to describe challenges and changes
to established structures and belief systems
that took place in Western society and
culture from the 1960s onwards.
4. KEY IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
Postmodernism is distinguished by a
questioning of the master narratives that were
embraced during the modern period.
Postmodernism overturned the idea that there
was one inherent meaning to a work of art.
Instead, the viewer became an important
determiner of meaning, even allowed by some
artists to participate.
The movement took on multiple artistic forms
for the next four decades including
11. SIMILARITIES
ironical and playful treatment of a
fragmented subject
undermining of concepts of authenticity and
originality,
and an emphasis on image and spectacle.
20. IMPORTANT ARTWORKS
Away from the Flock 1994 Damien Hirst
is a floor-based sculpture consisting of a glass-walled tank filled with
formaldehyde solution in which a dead sheep is fixed so that it appears
21. IMPORTANT ARTWORKS
New Hoover Convertibles,
Green, Red, Brown, New
Shelton Wet/Dry 10 Gallon
Displced Doubledecker
Jeff Koons
1981-1987
Referred to broadly as ‘The
New’ these works explored
the way our fantasies and
desires are transferred on to
ordinary objects
23. IMPORTANT ARTWORKS
Clock (one and five), eglish/latin version 1965/1997
is an installation by the American conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth. It comprises five
elements arranged in a row along the gallery wall: a life-sized photograph of a clock,
24. IMPORTANT ARTWORKS
Three Ball Total Equilibrium
Tank
Jeff Koons
1985
Glass, steel, pneumatic feet, 3
balls and water
1536 x 1238 x 336 mm
26. IMPORTANT ARTWORKS
African-American Flag
David Hammons, 1990
WHEN HE PRODUCED THE
FLAG, Hammons was inspired by
two disparate symbols: The U.S.
flag and the Pan-African flag
adopted by Marcus Garvey’s
Universal Negro Improvement
Association (UNIA) and African
Communities League in 1920.
28. INFLUENCE AND
LEGACY
Postmodernism has outlived itself. By announcing the
end of the future, and replacing it with the eternal
present, postmodernism has tried to play a God-trick
and create its own immortality.
32. STRENGTHS &
WEAKNESSES
The strength of postmodernism is that it’s very
expressive and everyone can take part in it, it is also
more flexible in a way that the art style can be done
by anyone.
It’s weakness aside from it’s “orderless” structure and
somewhat very broad sense of interpretation for
expressive art is that it is difficult to pass any artwork
as a postmodernist art work.
