Diverse Materials Visual Art Exhibit | Post Modern |

Postmodernism art is very appealing because there is no one way to define it or create it. There are no set rules or “traditional” post-modern classifications. Artists use a wide range of diverse materials to present a subject, and the subject matter's interpretation is what makes it interesting. (Kljaich) Postmodern art is created with electronics, video, computers, fiberglass, small motors, glass, fiber art, etc. I found Eden Gallery’s definition of Postmodern art to be spot on. “Postmodern art rejected the traditional values of modernism, and instead embraced experimentation with new media and art forms including intermedia, installation art, conceptual art, multimedia, performance art, and identity politics. Using these new forms, postmodernist artists have stretched the definition of art to embrace the idea that “anything can be art.” (Accardi)

“Marilyn Diptych,” by Andy Warhol 1962

“This series of silkscreen prints of Marilyn Monroe was taken from her image in the film, Niagara and reproduced first in color, and then in black and white. They were made in the months after her death in 1962 by Warhol who was fascinated by both the cult of celebrity and by death itself; this series fused the artist's interests. The color contrasted against the monochrome that fades out to the right is suggestive of life and death, while the repetition of images echoes Marilyn's ubiquitous presence in the media.

This work can be conceived of as postmodern in many senses: its overt reference to popular culture (and low art) challenges the purity of the modernist aesthetic, its repetitive element is an homage to mass production, and its ironic play on the concept of authenticity undermines the authority of the artist. The use of a diptych format, which was common in Christian altarpieces in the Renaissance period, draws attention to the American worship of both celebrities and images. All of these translate into an artwork that challenges traditional demarcations between high and low art and makes a statement about the importance of consumerism and spectacle in the 1960s.” (The Art Story)

I honestly do not understand Andy Warhol’s art. I ask myself “Is this art?” I do not find this piece aesthetically pleasing, nor requiring a mastered talent. The date on this piece might be considered Mid-modern; however, Andy Warhol is considered one of 8 Iconic Postmodern Artists. 

“The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living,” by Damien Hirst 1991

“Damien Hirst's shark preserved in formaldehyde is perhaps the most famous work of the Young British Artists movement in the 1990s. Hirst's presentation of a once deadly beast as a carcass that has been preserved to appear lifelike, forces the viewer to confront their fears in the institutional setting of a gallery rather than in a private space, while also playing on Baudrillard's notion of the real and its image. The viewers would have likely only seen an animal of this size and ferocity as an image in a book or on television. Even by having an actual shark placed in the gallery, it may have been difficult for viewers to see the animal as "real" rather than as a replica or simulacra, in Baudrillard's terms, because the shark is dead and has lost its power to harm. The sheer monumentality of the creature and the sense of spectacle - its to-be-looked-at quality - derived from its new status as a commodity art object along with the fact the work was commissioned by dealer, Charles Saatchi at an expense of over 6,000 Pound Sterling in 1991 marked a new era in postmodern conceptual art that did not just draw on the consumerist boom, but wholeheartedly embraced it. This piece was included in the infamous Sensations exhibition along with works by Tracey Emin and Rachel Whiteread.” (The Art Story) 

The date and diverse material classify this piece as Postmodern. I would like to view this piece in person. I have seen different photos of this exhibit and the shark has its mouth closed in one picture and it’s open in another picture? One question I have with Postmodern art, especially like this one, what happens to the art when the exhibit is over? Did this shark get thrown away? Is it in someone’s home? If it’s in a museum, what is the life expectancy of this piece?

“The Dancing House of Prague,” by Vlado Milunic in collaboration with Frank Gehry 1996

“The Dancing House of Prague, inspired by epic dancers Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, is located in the Nov? Mesto district, between Rasinovo Nabrezi and Resslova Street, along the embankment of the Vltava river. Built on the ruins of a building bombed in 1945 by the Americans, contruction of the building began in 1992 and ended in 1996. The architect behind this piece of work is none other than Czech-Croatian Vlado Milunic in collaboration with the Canadian colleague Frank Gehry.” (mybestplace)
This piece is extremely eye-catching and interesting. I can see how it is considered Postmodern because of the date it was created and because of the rejection of modern architecture. I would love to see this piece in person and take a tour. 

“Timeless Universe,” by Paul Friedlander

“Paul Friedlander has spent more than two decades investigating all kinds of technologies and procedures with the goal of making light a malleable and flexible material that can take on any shape or volume. What the observer discovers when standing before them are large incorporeal shapes in motion, suspended in mid-air, and when they spin around they give light a three-dimensionality we are unaccustomed to seeing in the proximate physical space.

The names of Friedlander’s kinetic light sculptures often contain references to different aspects of modern science, from quantum physics to string theory. However, their aesthetic construction and the way observers take in his work are inevitably reminiscent of the spiritual and the magical. After all, the physical elements that comprise Friedlander’s sculptures remain veiled by the mystery of a basic yet impressive optical effect.” (Friedlander)

I would like to view this piece in person. I think the light would be very intriguing and esthetically pleasing. This art is Postmodern because it uses light as a diverse material.

“Rhythm 0 / Seven Easy Pieces,” by Marina Abramovic 1974

“Marina Abramovic positioned herself passively in a gallery and invited her viewers to do what they liked to her without any response from her. They were offered a range of objects - each selected for either pleasure or pain, including knives and a loaded gun. After initially provoking a playful reaction, during the six-hour performance she was subjected to an increasing level of aggression, resulting in violent and disturbing occurrences. This pioneering piece broke new grounds in the postmodern shift towards audience participation through its total relinquishing of authorship and control from the artist to the audience, thus challenging the modernist notion of the unique and autonomous artist figure. This piece was typical of Abramovic's tendency to push herself and her body to physical and mental extremes in her performance.” (The Art Story)

The media represented in this art piece is performance art. It was interesting to me to see this artist. I have seen her in the media today as a Satanist with Hollywood elitists. I had no idea she was a performance artist with 50+ years of experience. I honestly, do not think I would watch/participate in something like this. I honestly do not view this as art but rather more of a psychological experiment. 

>>data.tron [8k enhanced version]<< by Ryoji Ikeda 2010

"The new work is an enhanced version of the audiovisual installation data.tron, where each single pixel of visual image is strictly calculated by mathematical principle, composed from a combination of pure mathematics and the vast sea of data present in the world. this latest version floods two giant screens with data, projected on the wall and the ground of Deep Space, thereby heightening and intensifiying your perception and total immersion within the work. what is the number of numbers? how can we verify that the random is random? data.tron[8k enhanced version] is part of datamatics project, a series of experiments that explore such questions, physically and mathematically. you will experience the vast universe of data in the infinite between 0 and 1.” (Ikeda)

The diverse material represented in this piece is electronic/technology. It’s easy to see from the pictures that there are multiple screens displaying code. The primary colors are black and white. A viewer may see patterns or relate some emotion to the piece. However, there is no defined image to view. The creator’s intent was to experience the vast universe of data. This is a piece I would like to see in person. I imagine the sheer mass of this piece would be an experience.

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| WORKS CITED |

Accardi, Angelo, “Postmodern Art Definition.” Eden Gallery. Postmodern Art Definition: What is Postmodern Art? - Eden Gallery (eden-gallery.com). Accessed on April 20, 2023.

Friedlander, Paul, “Paul Friedlander.” Artfutura. Paul Friedlander - artfutura. Accessed on April 20, 2023.

Ikeda, Ryoji. “>>data.tron[8k enhanced version]<<.” ADA Archive of Digital Art // former Database of Virtual Art. Accessed on April 20, 2023.

Kljaich, Lisa, “Classical Era Content.” Explorations in Art, F200X 001, UAF Online, Class Lecture.

Mybestplace, “Dancing House, The Dancing Building of Prague.” MyBestPlace - Dancing House, the Dancing Building of Prague. Accessed April 20, 2023.

The Art Story, “Postmodern Art.” Postmodern Art - Modern Art Terms and Concepts | TheArtStory. Accessed on April 20, 2023.