sayre2e ch40 integrated_lecture_pp_ts-150681

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Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunic. The Rasin Building, also known as the Dancing House or “Ginger and Fred,” Prague, Czech Republic. 1992-96.


Las Vegas, Nevada.

Postmodern Architecture: Complexity, Contradiction, and Globalization

What characterizes postmodern architecture?

• Architects and builders exemplify the affluent nomads of the new postmodern society. Current technologies are “designed for movement.” One of the key elements of Frank Gehry’s success was his ability to ensure that the “organization of the artist” prevailed. Santiago Calatrava is known for the dynamic curves of his buildings and bridges.

• One of the newest approaches to contemporary architecture takes into consideration the compatibility of the building with its environment.

• Discussion Question: How does Las Vegas influence postmodern architecture?


Frank Gehry. Gehry residence, Santa Monica, California. 1977-78.


Frank Gehry. Gehry residence, Santa Monica, California: Axonometric drawing. 1977-78.


Frank Gehry. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain. 1997.


Santiago Calatrava. Design for Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) station, World Trade Center Site, New York. 2004.


Renzo Piano. Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center, Nouméa, New Caledonia. 1991-98.


Emilio Ambasz. ACROS Building (Fukuoka Prefecturial International Hall), Fukuoka, Japan. 1989-95.

Pluralism and Postmodern Theory

How does postmodern theory reflect pluralist thought?

• Structuralism — The roots of this idea lie in French structuralism, which argues that meaning occurs not through identification but through difference.

• Deconstruction and Poststructuralism — the chief practitioner of deconstruction was the French philosopher Jacques Derrida. Deconstruction is not synonymous with “destruction,” but rather it suggests that the “text” be analyzed and taken apart in order to show what has been left out our overlooked.

• Chaos theory — Chaos theorists posit that biological and mathematical patterns that appear random, unstable, and disorderly are actually parts of larger, more “difficult wholes.”

• The Human Genome — Chaos theory is being usefully applied to genome research: the Human Genome Project was initiated in 1990.


Herzog & de Meuron. The Bird’s Nest—Beijing National Stadium. 2004–08.


Zhang Hongtu. Bird’s Nest, in the Style of Cubism. 2008.36" × 48”.


Benoit Mandelbrot. The Mandelbrot set.

Pluralism and Diversity in the Arts

How are pluralism and diversity reflected in art and literature?

• A Plurality of Style in Painting — By the end of the 19602, artist felt free to engage in a wide spectrum of experimental approaches to painting. Richter repaints photographs which create paintings of the graspable and visible. Steir adapted Pollock’s drip technique to her own ends, allowing paint to flow by force of gravity down the length of her canvases to form recognizable waterfalls.

• Multiplicity in Postmodern Literature — The pursuit of meaning lies at the heart of postmodern literature, but because meaning is always plural and fleeting, attempting to find any permanent meaning in the postmodern world can only lead to frustration. A working definition of postmodern fiction might include any form of writing that defeats the readers’ expectations of coherence. One of the principal strategies of postmodern poetry is to take advantage of the indeterminacy of certain words.

• A Diversity of Cultures: The Cross-Fertilization of the Present — American English has become the international language of business, politics, the media, and culture. Japanese artists have begun to directly engage the West. The British-born Nigerian painter Chris Ofili uses his West African culture as a source of inspiration for his art. Latino culture has become increasingly Americanized, and an influx of Hispanic immigrants helped Latinize American culture. The American Indian Movement helped to revitalize Native American cultures and furthered interest in traditional art forms. The tension between political reality, cultural identity, and personal identity is especially evident in the work of Middle Eastern women artists.

• A Multiplicity of Media: New Technologies — Just as the electronic media have revolutionized modern culture, so too have the arts been revolutionized by these media, particularly through the medium of video.

• Discussion Question: Discuss the effect of globalization on the environment and indigenous cultures.


Louise Lawler. Pollock and Tureen. 1984.28" × 39”.


Gerhard Richter. Meadowland. 1992.35-5/8" × 37-1/2”.


Gerhard Richter. Ice (2). 1989.6'8" × 63-7/8”.


Jean-Michel Basquiat. Closer Look: Basquiat's Charles the First. Three panels. 1982.78" × 62-1/4”.

Closer Look: Basquiat, Charles the First

MyArtsLabChapter 40 – Without Boundaries: a Postmodern World

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/shared_hss_assets/art/WPSGlobalModules/guided_tours/FB_47/index.html

http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ha/html/ancient_athens_parthExSw.htm

http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ha/related_sites/acropolis_360_public/html/1_5/1.3_01.html

http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ha/html/ancient_athens_parthExW2.htm

http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ha/html/ancient_athens_parthExW.htm

http://www.myartslab.com/


Pat Steir. Yellow and Blue One-Stroke Waterfall. 1992.14’ 6-1/4" × 7’ 6-3/4”.


Yasumasa Morimura. Portrait (Futago). 1988.82-3/4" × 118”.


Zhang Huan. To Raise the Water Level in a Fish Pond. Nanmofang Fishpond, Beijing, China. Performance documentation. Detail, middle

distance. 1997, August 15.60" × 90”.


Chris Ofili. The Holy Virgin Mary. 1996.8' × 6’.


Yinka Shonibare. Victorian Couple. 1999.Left figure: 60" × 36" × 36"; Right figure: 60" × 24" × 24”.


Judith F. Baca. Farmworkers at Guadalupe. One of four murals, Guadalupe, California. 1990.

8' × 7’.


Jimmie Durham. Headlights. 1983.


David P. Bradley (White Earth Ojibwe and Mdewakaton Dakota). Indian Country Today. 1996-97.

70" × 60”.


Shirin Neshat. Rebellious Silence, from the series Women of Allah. 1994.


Shahzia Sikander. Pleasure Pillars. 2001.12" × 10”.


Eleanor Antin. Minetta Lane—A Ghost Story. Three films, each about ten minutes long. 1994-95.


Bill Viola. Five Angels for the Millennium. (Edition of three). 2001.Each project image size: 7’ 10-1/2" × 10' 6”.


Peter Fischl and David Weiss. Der Lauf der Dinge (The Way Things Go). One of two stills. 1987.

30 minutes.


Peter Fischl and David Weiss. Der Lauf der Dinge (The Way Things Go). Two of two stills. 1987.

30 minutes.


Superflex. Flooded McDonald's. One of two stills. 2008.21 minutes.


Superflex. Flooded McDonald's. Two of two stills. 2008.21 minutes.


Pipilotti Rist. I'm Not a Girl Who Misses Much. One of three stills. 1986.5 minutes.


Pipilotti Rist. I'm Not a Girl Who Misses Much. Two of three stills. 1986.5 minutes.


Pipilotti Rist. I'm Not a Girl Who Misses Much. Three of three stills. 1986.5 minutes.


Pipilotti Rist. Ever is Over All. National Museum of Foreign Art, Sofia, Bulgaria, 1999. Sound, Anders Guggisbert. 1997.


Janine Antoni. Touch. 2002.9:36 minute loop.


Olafur Eliason. Continuity & Change: The Environment and the Humanist Tradition: The Weather Project. Installation view at the Tate Modern. 2003.

sayre2e ch40 integrated_lecture_pp_ts-150681

Spiritual

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heart of postmodern

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