OUGD401 - Lecture notes: Postmodernism

17th October 2012

Postmodernism

Postmodernism - A term applied to a wide range of cultural analysis and production since the 1970s. A shift in attitude.

If modernism is roughly from 1860-1960. Then logically postmodernism in 1960s - today.
Some crits state postmodernism is over.

• Initially born out of optimism, as aspirational reaction to WW1
• Only rule is that there are no rules
• Celebrates what might be termed Kitsch
• Robert Venturi, learning from Las Vegas 1972
• Charles Jencks 1977

If modernism equates with

• Simplified aesthetic
• Utopian ideals

Postmodernism has an attitude of questioning conventions.

Aesthetic - multiplicity of styles and approaches

Double-coding from historical styles

Knowing juxtapositions

Questioning old limitations

Space for marginalised discourse

- women, sexual diversity and multiculturalism

Architecture

Le Corbusier, Chapel of Notre Dame Du Haut, Ronchamp, 1953-5

Recognising failure of modernism

Church in France

Maisons Jaoul, Neuilly Sul Seine 1954-6

Going against aesthetic of modernism

Las Vegas

Microcosm of the world

Kitsch way

Might question whether we need the real thing

Buildings/Architecture

73% of Americans don't have passports

College graduate back from trip to Europe prefers Disney

Miles Van de Rohe and Philip Johnson
Seagram building

Ron Herron/Archigram, Walking City in New York, 1964

Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, Pompidou Centre, Paris 1972-77

James Stirling, Neue Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany, 1977-1983 - Kitsch colours

Design
Michael Groves, kettle, for Alessi 1985
Chrome
Function - shows you have money

Philippe Starck, Juicy Salif 1990 
Loads got recalled

Fashion

SEX Boutique 1975, Vivienne Westwood, Kings Road London

Hussein Chalayan, After Words, 2000-2001
Response to the Civil War
Draws attention to what you do with belongings
More about showing off? Fashion?
Nudity on catwalk

Fine art

Mark Rothko, Murals for Four Seasons Restaurant

Seagram Building 1957, now in the Tate Modern
Love or hate

Andy Warhol, Campbell's soup cans 1962
Pop art

Roy Litchenstein, Drowning Girl 1963

Jeff Koons, Dirty - Jeff on top 1992 - Tacky

Jeff Koons, Michael Jackson and Bubbles
1988 - He knows it is tacky
He is showing the cheapness of pop culture

Marcel Duchamp 1997

Damien Hirst, Mother and child divided 1992

Tracey Emin, Everyone I have every slept with 1963-95
Tent with names on

Tracey Emin - my bed 1998

Sarah Lucas, Au Naturel 1994

Jake and Dinos model 1995 - Disgusts people
Is it going for shock value or something serious?

Jake and Dinos Chapman, Fuck face 1995

Chris Ofili, No woman no cry 1998
Black teenager killed in London
Elephant dung - White perception of black roots

Chris Ofili, Holy virgin Mary, 1996

Chris Ofili, Captain shit and the legend of the black stars 1997

Chris Ofili - Shithead

Serious/Joke
Surface/Depth

Martin Creed - Masking tape on wall

Mark Wallinger - Sleeper

Advertising
Helmut Krone for Doyle Dane Berbach, Volkswagen advert 1959

Graphic Design 
David Carson, Ray Gun, double page spread
Key postmodernism graphic designer
World champion surfer
Magazine - grunge lifestyle
Legibility

David Carson - Don't mistake legibility for communication

Fine art
Barbara Kruger - Feminist artist - I shop therefore I am 1987 - Using medium of graphic design, making it fine art

Selfridges
Buy me, I'll change your life
Graphic design?
Making cynical statement about shoppers

Rachel Whiteread 1963 House 1993
Social statement
Won the Turner Prize

The K Foundation, Nailed to the Wall 1994
£1 million in £50 notes
All about questioning value
Actually burnt money eventually
Couldn't give money to bank because it had holes in it

Summary
Attitude of questioning conventions
Aesthetic - multiplicity of styles and approaches
Space for new voices
Shift in thought and theory