Understanding Postmodernism

Cover Image: Away from Flock, 1994

Ada Louis Huxtable, a well renowned architecture critic from New York, had famously said, “Postmodernism is a freewheeling, unfettered and unapologetic pursuit of style”. Although Postmodernism started out as a reaction against Modernism, the movement quickly developed a style unique to its own. Some of the preliminary analysis of the movement yielding from the art community included words such as ‘skepticism’, ‘anti-authoritarian by nature’ and ‘philosophical critics of truth’.

Postmodern art has an individualistic approach to emotions rather than a set standard for works. This movement was not birthed by the collective effort of a group of artists, like the Impressionist movement, but rather Postmodernism encouraged an unorthodox and free-spirited attitude towards art. Due to these features of Postmodernism, it quickly became known as a movement that defied all set standards for art. Additionally, Postmodernism is considered to be intensely personal in its execution and so quite naturally, the art is often subjected to harsh critique.

Postmodernist artists possess the quality of self-awareness and because this movement fuels individualistic emotions and thoughts, some artists of this era take their art to new levels. Considering the example of Damien Hirst, a famous British artist, and his series named ‘Natural History’. Hirst shocked the art world when he first presented his Natural History series which incorporated the artworks that are considered to propel him to fame. Artworks in the series include ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’, ‘Away from the Flock’, ‘Mother and Child’ etc. Damien Hirst and his Natural History series are a perfect example of an artist who has stretched the definition of art to the point of “anything goes”. What is so special about storing animals in a formaldehyde solution and calling it art? If it considered to be art, then will all the biological samples in laboratories stored in similar solutions also be called art?

What is so special about storing animals in a formaldehyde solution and calling it art?

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991

With Dead Head, 1981

Damien Hirst’s overt obsession with death led him to create artwork that made spectators question their core human values and beliefs. For those who are unwilling to question their thoughts after looking at Hirst’s artwork have every reason to do so. I can see why a person can stand in front of the trapped sheep or the half-cut calf in a box and say, ‘This is not art’, ‘this is inhumane’ or

‘this has gone too far’ but perhaps that is exactly Hirst’s intention. Damien Hirst is just one of the many artists in the Postmodern era working continuously to express themselves all the while creating art that makes the viewers ask difficult questions to themselves.

Art is not just about aesthetic appeal or beauty. Art is something which stimulates us to think and go through emotions of various kinds which push us to think deeper and uncover new things about ourselves. But how far are Postmodernist artists willing to go in order to stimulate such thoughts? Should you approach creativity with a general morality, or should art be free of any beliefs, values, and ethics? Where does the line between art and randomness lie?

It is this very questioning nature of the Postmodernism movement that makes it so unique. Sometimes, you need to think twice or look at a piece for longer in order to determine whether it really is art. The personal reactions that stem from looking at Postmodern art is what gives artists the license to create just about anything they want to. If it does not click with one person, it might click with the next. Your beliefs are not the same as mine, so what I consider art can be thought as rubbish by another.

Your beliefs are not the same as mine, so what I consider as art can be thought as rubbish by another.

Postmodernist artists thrive at this very area of uncertainty and relativity of emotions. Art is not the same for everybody. Perceptions vary from person to person and so it is hard to generalize the idea of art in the Postmodern era. This is where I agree with Andy Warhol when he said, ‘Art is what you can get away with’. Even if you are able to get your message across or stimulate an emotion in one person, you can stretch art to whatever limits you want them to extend till.

Humans show some things with confidence such as their values and beliefs but when a piece of art questions these very elements of confidence, they are bound to get anxious. But if one is able to overcome this anxiety, perhaps they would be able to look at Postmodern art as a process of exploring themselves.