Postmodernism and the Existance of Choice ( was Re: "monosyllabic morons")
Chad Nilep
In the twentieth century, especially after the First World War in Europe,
extending through the 1970s, Modernism was a school of thought in art--
music, poetry, architecture, what-have-you --that valued mathematical and
mechanical ly inspired ideas, with the idea that perfection could be
found through logic, science, and mathematics. Modernism gave rise to
the skyscraper, the geometric design of the post-WWII rebuilding of Paris,
minimalist "Twentieth Century" music, and so forth.
Post modernism was a reaction, in the latter half of the century, against
Modernism, which very quickly (within a generation or so) began to feel
old, used up, boring. After all, how much can you do with straight-line
geometry, and perfect logic, artistically speaking? Post modernism
ushered a return to nature, as well as a return to many of the forms of
the past. However, Post modernism should not be confused with Neo-
Anything-ism. The difference is this: Post modernism has at its
disposal a knowledge of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern,
Expressionist, Surrealist, Marxist. . . anyway, a whole boat load of
other styles; a Postmodern artist, for instance, can feel free to blend
Classical form with Victorian or Romantic elements, to come up with a new
piece. As an architect friend of mine puts it: While a Modernist house
would tend to look like a box (lots of perpendicular lines and sharp
corners), a Postmodernist house would look like a house, but not like any
house you've seen before. The roof, chimney, windows, etc. would all be
there, but perhaps slightly askew, causing you to think about familar
elements in a new way.
I don't know if this makes the idea more or less comprehensible, but I
hope there is at least some useful knowledge here. Feel free to e-mail
me for more information. Perhaps I could even point you to some (more
knowledgable) sources for further study. Unfortunately, I can't seem to
remember any at the moment. The memory is one of the first things to go,
I fear.
Crochetty Old Man
Chad D Nilep
XGE...@prodigy.com
as always: {:-)
Alexander von Thorn
(Chad Nilep) wrote:
> My understanding of modernism/postmodernism is:
>
> As an architect friend of mine puts it: While a Modernist house
> would tend to look like a box (lots of perpendicular lines and sharp
> corners), a Postmodernist house would look like a house, but not like any
> house you've seen before. The roof, chimney, windows, etc. would all be
> there, but perhaps slightly askew, causing you to think about familar
> elements in a new way.
Post-modernism in architecture does, as you say, relate to a new
evaluation of the component elements of a building. This derives from the
overall philosophy of post-modernism, which mainly related to literature
originally. (See, this is about writing. <g>) Part of the intent was to
try to evaluate literature without considering the moral implications of
various elements. For example, one might consider the literary merits of a
piece of Kipling's work, while considering any attitudes about race or
ethnicity as simply a reflection of his culture, so that the work should
not be condemned as such.
(Of course, some of the people who came up with these ideas did so as a
way of justifying the work of fascist scholars. But that's a side issue.)
Or to put it more simply, "modernism" is an expression of the faith in
progress and change, an expression of optimism characteristic of the
1960s, from the boardrooms of corporations who thought growth would be
eternal to the politicians and generals who thought they could save the
world from communism to the students who thought they could save the world
with activism. They all favored progress, they just thought it was going
in different directions. "Post-modernism" fit into the trendy ambiguity
and uncertainty of the 1980s; it was a sense that progress wasn't always
right, that growth had an environmental cost, that laws promoting equality
created other injustices, that no one really had the answers. (And which
prompted some architects to make some *really* ugly buildings...)
But now many people thing that cynicism is too simplistic as well, that
analysis is meaningless without some kind of judgement. Post-modernism is,
itself, passe. <g>
--
AvT
Critter
==========Karen Tellefsen, 7/13/95==========
[text deleted]
Postmodernism isn't so much a reaction to modernism, except for
a bit of boredom, as joking with and parodying traditional or
historical idioms. It can be a playful mixture of modern and
historical idioms.
K
--
Karen Tellefsen
k...@ritz.mordor.com
Home Page - http://www.mordor.com/kat/karen.html
-------
I'm not sure I'd consider it a parody or a joke. There is a
philosophy to postmodernism that centers around a revision
of popular philosophy.. as a matter of fact, most postmodern
art isn't funny at all.. it's quite scary... take Naked Lunch
for instance..
...Critter
ben...@vidya.com
> philosophy to postmodernism that centers around a revision
> of popular philosophy.. as a matter of fact, most postmodern
> art isn't funny at all.. it's quite scary... take Naked Lunch
> for instance.
Does anyone know why PoMo analysis seems to breed really long words? Even compared to the other literary families, it
goes through all sorts of linguistic gymnastics. Maybe revisionism makes you think in circles. Hmm..........
I'm still not sure Burroughs was revising anything other than his own body chemistry.... good book though.