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Late Modernist Versus Postmodernist Arts: Review

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http://www.inosr.net/inosr-arts-and-management/ Marry and Howard INOSR ARTS AND MANAGEMENT 6(1): 55-60, 2020. ©INOSR PUBLICATIONS International Network Organization for Scientific Research ISSN: 2705-1668 Late Modernist versus Postmodernist Arts: Review Martin, Ann Ray, and Howard, Junker Department of Fine Arts, Lira University, Uganda. ABSTRACT Terms like 'modern' and 'postmodern' are subject-centered, and not based on any historical or objective phenomenon or personality. Everyone feels that something called 'Postmodernism' has happened, but, as regards its true nature and causes, opinion is divided; a few people say postmodernism is a fiction. Late modernism describes movements which arise from, and react against, trends in modernism and rejects some aspect of modernism, while fully developing the conceptual potentiality of the modernist enterprise, while postmodernism in some descriptions is a period in art which is completed, whereas in others it is a continuing movement in contemporary art. Therefore this review will check the comparison between both in the society now. Keywords: Late Modernist, Postmodernist, Arts, Society. INTRODUCTION The arts refers to the theory, human postmodernism has led to almost five application and physical expression of decades of artistic experimentation with creativity found in human cultures and new media and new art forms, including societies through skills and imagination Conceptual art, various types of in order to produce objects, environments Performance art and Installation art, as and experiences [1]. Major constituents of well as computer-aided movements like the arts include visual arts (including Deconstructivism and Projection art [4]. architecture, ceramics, drawing, Using these new forms, postmodernist filmmaking, painting, photography, and artists have stretched the definition of art sculpting), literature (including fiction, to the point where almost anything goes. drama, poetry, and prose), and Unfortunately, most articles on performing arts (including dance, music, postmodernism are full of complicated and theatre), culinary arts (including words like modernity (not the same as cooking, chocolate making and modernism), and post-modernity winemaking) [2]. Some art forms combine (different to postmodernism), a visual element with performance (e.g. Metamodernism (from, but not part of, cinematography), or artwork with the postmodernism), and Post- written word (e.g. comics). From postmodernism (gimme a break). So prehistoric cave paintings to modern-day instead of using jargon, so simple dress- films, art serves as a vessel for code example can help to understand storytelling and conveying humankind's postmodernist art and how it differs from relationship with the environment. modern art and it‟s even earlier The term "postmodernist art" refers to a predecessor academic art [5]. The first wide category of contemporary art major style of art after the Renaissance created from about 1970 onwards. The was academic art, the classical stuff hallmark of postmodernist art is its which was taught by professors in the rejection of the aesthetics upon which its Academies. Academic art is the artistic predecessor "modern art" (1870-1970) was equivalent of the traditional suit and based [3]. One of these rejected values is necktie. Next, about 1870, comes modern the idea that art is something special art [6]. This is the artistic equivalent of which should be elevated from popular the shirt and pants or jacket and trousers. taste. Coinciding with a raft of new Next, about 1970, comes postmodern art, technological developments, which is the artistic equivalent of the 55 http://www.inosr.net/inosr-arts-and-management/ Marry and Howard INOSR ARTS AND MANAGEMENT 6(1): 55-60, 2020. jeans and T-shirt. In the same way that worn out. Besides, the idea of working for dress codes have become less formal and four years to master the necessary skills more anything goes, so today's artists are of these traditional fine arts was less impressed with the old ideas of what considered retrogressive [13]. It was art should be, and more focused on believed that art should be liberated from creating something (anything) that gets the elite and opened to the public, so art noticed [7]. But informal dress like jeans schools began to turn out a new type of and T-shirts has only become popular graduate, someone familiar with instant because society itself has become less postmodernist-style forms, as well as formal. In the same way, as we shall see basic production techniques. In a postmodernist art is part of a wider nutshell, individual creativity was current of technological, political and considered to be more important than the social change in the West, which has accumulation of craftsman-like skills [14]. introduced many new attitudes and new Use of Technology types of behavior [8]. The full impact of The era of postmodernist art has the Internet, for instance, on the sourcing coincided with the arrival of several new and distribution of artistic imagery, and image-based technologies (eg. television, on the creation of applied art and design, video, screen-printing, computers, the has yet to be felt. But since it has already Internet) and has benefited hugely from revolutionized the music industry, its them [15]. The new range of video and effect on the art world is not likely to be photographic imagery has reduced the delayed for long. importance of drawing skills, and by Characteristics of Postmodernism manipulating the new technology, artists Postmodernism is not a movement, it's a (notably those involved in new media, like general attitude [9]. So there is no agreed installation, video and lens-based art) list of characteristics that define have been able to short-cut the traditional "postmodernist art". But we must start processes involved in making art, but still somewhere, so here are a few selected create something new. This is illustrated pointers. by the documentary photography of General Ideology Diane Arbus that focuses on members of Postmodernism reflects a widespread minorities in New York City, and the video disillusionment with life, as well as the art of the Korean-American Nam June Paik power of existing value-systems and/or (1932-2006) [16]. technology to effect beneficial change Postmodernist Focus on Popular/Low [10]. As a result, authority, expertise, culture knowledge and eminence of achievement The term high culture is often used by art have become discredited. Artists are now critics when trying to distinguish the high far more wary about big ideas (e.g. all culture of painting and sculpture (and 'progress' is good). Most important, other fine arts), from the low popular modernist art was seen not only as elitist culture of magazines, television, pulp but also as white, male-dominated and fiction and other mass-made commodities uninterested in minorities [11]. Which is [1]. Modernists, along with their why postmodernism champions art by influential supporters like [8], considered Third World, Feminist and Minority low culture to be inferior to high culture. artists. However, critics say that despite By contrast, postmodernists who favour a its supposed rejection of big ideas, the more democratic idea of art see high postmodern movement seems to have lots culture as more elitist [10]. Thus Pop-art, of big ideas of its own. Examples include the first postmodernist movement made all types of art are equally valid, art can art out of ordinary consumer items be made out of anything. (hamburgers, tins of soup, packets of Art Educatin soap powder, comic strips) that were Postmodernism changed the educational instantly recognizable by Joe Public. Pop- priorities at numerous art colleges [12]. artists and others went even further in During the 1970s, the art of painting (and their attempts to democratize art, by to a lesser extent sculpture), was seen as printing their art on mugs, paper bags, 56 http://www.inosr.net/inosr-arts-and-management/ Marry and Howard INOSR ARTS AND MANAGEMENT 6(1): 55-60, 2020. and T-shirts: a method which incidentally nude bodies, buildings that appear to be exemplifies the postmodernist desire to in motion, a collection of 35,000 undermine the originality and terracotta figures, islands wrapped in authenticity of art [13]. pink polypropylene fabric, painted Mixing of Genres and Styles bodies, spooky projected imagery on Ever since Neo-Dada, postmodernists public buildings, and so on - have have enjoyed mixing things up or provided spectators with a range of new injecting novel elements into traditional (sometimes shocking) experiences [7]. forms to create new combinations and Whether these new so-called art forms pastiches. Fernando Botero creates actually constitute art remains a hotly- primitive style paintings of obese figures; contested issue. The postmodern Georg Baselitz paints upside-down conceptualists say “Yes”, the traditionists figures. Gerhard Richter combined camera say "No". art and painting in his photo-paintings of Focus on Spectacle the 1970s, while Jeff Koons combined In the absence of any real meaning to life consumerist imagery (balloon shapes) especially when we are bombarded day with highly finished sculptural techniques and night by radio and TV advertising to create his Balloon Dog pop-sculptures while at the same time being forced to (1994-2000). Meanwhile Andreas Gursky listen to politicians explain that two plus combines photography with computer two equals three. Postmodernists have generated imagery to create works like preferred
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