Hello Drawing 2 Students,
With the hope of bringing art history into our classroom dialog you will be asked to read a short article each week pertaining to a different movement in post-modern art. Each article tries to capture the heart of that movement and some of the artists associated with it. The articles come from the book Drawing From the Postmodern: 1975-2005 by Jordan Kantor.
After reading each article, please respond in the form of a comment below. Please include one or two paragraphs that include either a personal summary of the movement or a commentary related to what you read. Also please paste two links to web pages that include artist work indicative of that particular movement (see example). Your first posting is due 1/28.
Example:
Artist Name: Rivane Neuenschwander
Name of Artwork: Eu desejo o seu desejo / I wish your wish, 2003.
Link: http://www.zatista.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Rivanne11.jpg
Let me know if you have any questions.
B.
I didn't get a lot from the articles. I'm finding a difficult time relating the language used to describe these movements with my actual experiences of seeing art that is attributed to them. Phrases like "the unpresentable in presentation itself" and "penchant for the baroque in antithesis to the modernist predilection toward the manta of 'less is more'" strike me as a way to use a lot of words without saying much. The oft-stated goal of postmodernism is to challenge systems of authority, but it's the least accessible form of art. I feel like postmodern art wants to replace existing systems of authority with itself, rather than something more equitable.
ReplyDeleteAs I will do as I'm able to, I've link to art below that I've experienced first hand. The baby statues in Prague are really pretty cool...
Artist: Georg Baselitz
Title: A Modern Painter
Link: http://www.berlinischegalerie.de/en/collection/fine-arts/highlights/georg-baselitz/
Artist: Davida Cernego
Title: Mimi Kampa
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KFLMYgmM-mrW-OShgH349w
I appreciate you response Mike, though I was hoping that you would speak specifically to the idea of semiotics, I understand the initial difficulty with the reading considering the nature of the language. One thing I would ask that you consider as you read each individual article is that as westerners we have a pension for a linear dialectic. I would ask that you consider that many times contemporary philosophical writings reflect a more circular form of writing which allows for a more open relationship with the text.
DeleteWhen reading the articles I would challenge you to analyze the wordy statements and even do the research necessary in understanding what is meant by "baroque" so to better understand what the "baroque antithesis" might mean. In the future, I believe that this approach will be necessary in order to speak directly to the theme of each particular essay, in this instance Semiotics.
Postmodernism can be difficult and I understand that some people have a tendency to distrust it. Postmodernism itself is a critique, its deconstructive, often pluralistic and relativistic. These ideas are sometimes a contradiction to values and beliefs that we hold to. Frankly, that is precisely the point in reading these articles.
My hope is that some of these sub-movements within postmodernism will resonate with you while others certainly won't. If you allow yourself to reflect on each individual concept you may find that the study of language, symbol and code (semiotics) within art is an interesting topic.You might even discover a way in which it speaks to your art without ever having to address some of the a over-arching themes of postmodernism.
I appreciate the art that you posted. Would it be possible to explain how they might speak to semiotics?
(This is not John, it is his wife, Sonya.)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mike that the articles are wordy and superfluous. An excerpt from Wikipedia's definition of postmodernism highlights my confusion: "Because postmodernism often describes an overarching reactionary stereotype, it sometimes pejoratively describes writers, artists or critics who give the impression they believe in no absolute truth or objective reality.[3]...Yilmaz points out that because the theory itself is 'anti-essentialist and anti-foundationalist' it is fitting that the term cannot have any essential or fundamental meaning." So is postmodernism merely a reaction that, like "The Death of the Author," causes the observer to construct their own meaning? I personally think all artists are at least partially responsible for the influence they hold over their audience. Or is it an attempt to debunk societal ideology of absolute truth? I think the notion of there being no absolute truth is really not very original. I had an english professor once who started the semester with a soliloquey on the absolute truth that there is no absolute truth. Contradictions like this in the art world always strike me as hypocritical and myopic.
Artist: Peter Halley
Artwork: Panic Room
Link: http://www.maryboonegallery.com/artist_info/pages/halley/detail1.html
Artist: Jean-Michel Basquiat
Artwork: Jimmy Best
Link: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/basquiat/street-to-studio/english/explore_visual.php
Sonya, this is a well-thought reaction to postmodernism as a philosophical idea but what I am really looking for is a response to semiotics specifically. Semiotics is essentially the study of language and symbol. Semiotics in art has a rich history that certainly predates postmodernism but was/is highly discussed within a focused postmodern movement. In the future, please do your best to trudge through the text, allowing yourself to analyze the topic.
DeleteI think you will find, much like I shared with Mike, postmodernism is complex and multi-faceted. Though there may be things that you disagree with I would be surprised if you found nothing about it to be enduring. It is likely, if truly considered, that every philosophical movement throughout the history of humankind contains ideas that you might consider contradictory, superfluous and myopic.
We can discuss the article more in class. Thanks for your response and for the images. These are good examples of work that deals with semiotics.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo my understanding after reading the article on semiotics, it is a way for visual artists to use symbols in society to express their point of views. Whether they use it for political, stereotypical, or religious purposes, I think that's what the article was trying to say. I actually saw a few pieces in the art show we went to last week that had the use of political symbols in it to get a point across to the viewers. I see this sort of art everywhere and I think it's only to become a larger part of society as major changes continue to unfold. It's a great way for people to really send a dramatic message with their art, or rather make it have a voice.
ReplyDeleteexample one: http://www.newtopiablog.com/artistinterview-travissomerville/
artist:Travis Somerville
It seems like this artist does a lot of semiotic work. This interview with him has a painting he did, but I don't see the actual name of the piece.
example two: http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3ADE%3AI%3A3|G%3AHI%3AE%3A1&page_number=28&template_id=1&sort_order=2
piece: the new worshipers II
artist:Sandra Gamarra
Tatiana,
DeleteI like that you referred to the show and recognized visual connections to the literature. Your reference to "voice" is particularly important. This voice is not always the loud and obvious one, like in the Travis Somerville image you shared. The significance is that artists often use symbols as a way of weaving in and out of overt and subtle references. These references and the tone in which they are used point the viewer in a direction providing context.
Your examples are great. Thanks for sharing.
This week I was looking forward to reading about art history. However, that changed briefly when I found myself questioning what the article on Semiotics really meant. After several readings and trying to make sense of the article, I realized my lack of familiarity with the terms that were being discussed could be the biggest reason I had a lack of interest in this topic. Then I decided to find out what some of the key words meant. I had heard of them but not in the context of analyzing the influence of art. The words that were bogging me down were, index, icon, signifier and referent. I did research them and found that they are "essential parts of how we interpret visual art." I actually could relate with several of the different philosophies semiotics represents. Sometimes we just don't know how to interpret how we are affected by art.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, as I read about Barbara Kruger's black and white photomontages, my curiosity was sparked. I was drawn to the bold meanings of words depicting the art, and how the words became the "dilemma", or a conflicting truth in the interpretation. The art had inferences that were powerful, as well as some vague messages too. I believe the interpretation may be according to a persons background knowledge on the subject depicted in the art. So I revisited the words I had already looked up to help me read this article. Now I felt just a little bit more informed on semiotics.
Next, I decided to glance on the internet in regards to Charles Sanders Peirce. His article on the Divine Creativity was more aligned with my belief as an artist. Peirce said that, "God is an artist and the universe is His work of art." He believes, "The way God exercises control over His creation is through agape, the evolutionary love. Out of agape, God creates men, making them free to create as well, and thus free to participate in the development of the universal mind." (Peirce's Esthetics) I read quite extensively on Peirce so I could find out about his art. I could not find actual art but only the organizing data he created in regards to analyzing art. I would say that I ended up feeling enlightened on the study of signs, and messages after reading the Semiotics article.
Barbara Kruger
The Art History Archive - Feminist Art
Art: 1) Your body is a battle ground, 2) Your gaze hits the side of my face
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.htmluld
Peirce's Esthetics
http://www.signosemio.com/peirce/esthetics.asp
I think you are definitely beginning to understand the use of icons, symbols and language in art. Your examples were good ones. Obviously for Barbara Kruger, type and language play a huge part. The way she juxtaposes clever and sharp phrases with images demands the engagement of the viewer. I really like how you described her work though, "The art had inferences that were powerful, as well as some vague messages too". Often times we assume that semiotics is "loud" and abrasive, but I am glad that you found intriguing nuances within Kruger's work.
DeleteThanks for sharing and for taking the time to really investigate the reading.