Thursday, April 23, 2009

Postmodern Art

Postmodern Art is essentially an abandonment or deconstruction of many of the styles that came before, especially those of modernist theories and the doing away with high and low art. Increasing emphasis on identity in broad sense, especially with the introduction of Feminist Art and the attempt to remove the visible artists influence in art by introducing photography and other mechanical means of commercial creation. There is also a rise in performance style or installation art. Style over substance becomes the norm. They wish to pursue areas of enlightenment that modernists would have scoffed at or actively derided and avoid falling into their discrete disciplines, This in turn increases ones critical thinking or awareness. Art is no longer required to be representational, beautiful or realistic, nor is it required to have a subject or bear evidence of the artists influence.

Feminist Art falls into the classification of Post Modern because it also increases the way one critically views the world, by making the unseen, noticeable once again; it forms a messier concept of art, something more visceral. They question the basic principles of Aristotle and of the so called Masters of the art world and uses social placement to derive meaning. The works of Cindy Sherman are primarily photographic, though she does also use performance as a medium, and therefore they blend with the post modern idea creating simulacra of herself to compare against other similar images.

The artist I have chosen is Brandon Jacob Hudson, I want to experiment with integrating the photographic process and the drawing process, and he illustrates this integration in a colorful and thoughtful way. So I will be looking, at least in part to the way he achieves his finished products. In an abstract sense he also covers the aspect of Play, which is what I have chosen to attempt as well.