Co-Written by Savanna Miska and Michaela Malone
Introduction
Postmodern pluralism is ambiguous in that there is no concise definition other than the rejection of modernist theories. Terry Barrett (2017) references philosopher Richard Shuttersman who claims that “Postmodernism is a ‘concept’ rather than a ‘theory’ or a ‘philosophy,’ and others call it a ‘movement’ or ‘set of attitudes’ or a ‘condition’”. The rapid evolvement of what defines postmodern pluralism constitutes its lack of clarity. Although diverse, each category embraces the notion of intertwining art and aesthetics in life. Every category is socially, politically, or ethically charged and challenges the daily impact of common, yet, undiscussed topics of tension. Without art, these topics are irrelevant to the conscious being.
Postmodern pluralism encompasses the way in which poststructuralist theory acted as the pioneer to create the broad idea of post modernism with support from the feminist movement. Among these supporting components of postmodern pluralism Mirror Piece I (1969/2010) awakens the subconscious, Untitled (2018) revalues the viewers role in interpretation art, and Heavy Rag (2018) examines the male gaze.
Poststructuralism: Mirror Piece I (1969/2010)
Mirror Piece I (Figure 1.1) was originally choreographed in 1969 by American female artist Joan Jonas and reworked in 2010. Jonas was a pioneer in postmodern pluralism. Her 2010 rendition (Figure 1.2) was completed after a deeper understanding of Postmodern Pluralism was obtained. The original Mirror Piece I (1969) was preformed outside where performers carried oblong mirrors while slowly executing choreography. Similarly, Mirror Piece I (2010) used similar oblong mirrors, but this time was performed on a stage. Participants saw fragmented sections of themselves and their environment as the dancers moved around the stage.
The fragmented images that the viewer sees in the mirrors constitutes a sense of alienation. (The Artist..., 2014) Because the viewer sees portions of their body at various times, the Uncanny creates tension in the viewer’s discovery of themselves. During this process, the subconscious surfaces to help establish a deeper connection between the viewers internal sense of self and physical perception of self.
Poststructuralist's claim that art is always in process and never whole, which is reflected in the interactive experience Joan Jonas creates. Jacque Lacan’s philosophy on poststructuralism stems from his theory which states that “The self or subject is structured through recognition of ‘the other’, and through this necessary recognition comes an awareness of one’s own lack” (Barrett, 2017). The subject that Lacan refers to is composed of three interconnected orders which are the Symbolic, the Imaginary, and the Real (Barrett, 2017). Mirror Piece I (2010) concentrates on the Imaginary order of the subject. When a viewer discontinuously sees portions of themselves, they are able to construct and identify who they are. This leads to continuously understanding how much they do not know about themselves. Indispensable to the concept of postmodern pluralism, the viewer is essential in completing the conception of the piece. Without the viewers constant ebb and flow of identity construction throughout the performance, the meaning of the piece may be nonexistent or become substantially less significant.
Postmodernism: Untitled (2018)
Georgia native, Stephen McMennamy, creates art that is comprised of juxtaposed photographs that create a new image. One of McMennany’s works, Untitled (2018) (Figure 1.3) is comprised of two images where the top photograph depicts a skier jumping over a snow peak and the bottom photograph is of a child’s hand with pink nail polish holding a waffle cone. Both images depict a similar sky-blue background. When both images are placed next to each other the laws of Gestalt cohesively merge the two images. At first glance the image appears to be an ice cream cone, but on further investigation it becomes evident that it is two different images that vary in scale.
Postmodernism is the foundation of postmodern pluralism and claims that “one aesthetically investigates works of art in order to come to one’s own sense of the value and meaning of the work” (Barrett, 2017). The interpretation of Stephen McMennamy’s work is dependent on postmodern philosophy because the method of interpretation is a significant component to postmodernism. McMennamy’s pieces are reliant on the personal associations made through the lived experiences of the viewer, as seen in Joan Jonas’s work. When applied through various contexts, the role of being an active participant is essential to the completion of the piece. If a viewer has had a personal reaction to either of the subjects, the interpretation will vastly vary. For example, the juxtaposition of climates in Untitled (2018) may influence the viewers perception of the work because of their personal relationship to the events that occur within those contexts. Terry Barrett eludes to Jean-François Lyotard’s theory of “mini-narratives,” where diverse personal experiences are provisional, temporary, relative, and contingent. Previous movements were reliant on totalizing ideas which created confinement. Post modernism engages the viewer as a piece of the artwork in order to release these constraints.
Feminism: Heavy Rag (2018)
Zoe Buckman is an English Female artist whose work focuses on exploring feminine expression and motherhood. Specifically, in her collective installation Heavy Rag (2018) (Figure 1.4), Buckman focuses on “motherhood and the domestic sphere as sources of both oppression and empowerment”. The installation contains textiles such as red, white, and pink checkered rags, and tea cloths which cover boxing gloves and punching bags. The collection also includes embroidered cloths with various phrases (Figure 1.5).
The specific pattern of textile Joan Jonas chose induces a sense of the 1950’s American dream aesthetic. The white, pink, and red colors selected embody the traditional Western symbol of femininity. The pattern and colors on the textiles juxtapose the form of the boxing gloves and punching bag which are typically associated with masculine tendencies: violence, aggression, and dominance. The New York Radical Women created parallels between county fairs and pageants “where the nervous animals are judged for teeth, fleece, etc., and where the best ‘specimen’ gets the blue ribbon. So are women in our society forced daily to compete for male approval, enslaved by ludicrous ‘beauty’ standards we ourselves are conditioned to take seriously” (2000). Buckman’s use of textiles solidify the ludicrous notions of what a woman should be. Through juxtaposition, Heavy Rag embodies femininity conforming to masculine standards.
Because of the large impact that social, ethical, and political conflicts bare on postmodern pluralism, feminism takes precedence in this movement. At the heart of this movement resides the controversial topic of the male gaze. In Terry Barrett’s (2017) text, Berger writes “you painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her, you put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting Vanity, thus morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for your own pleasure”. Historically imbedded in society, the gaze cannot be disrupted without an act of consciousness to reverse the effects. Acknowledgement of gaze reframes the way men view women. This reconfiguration alters the way in which one critiques artwork. This aids in viewing the world in order to understand its value; as Mary Deveraeux (2002) claims that feminist “ask that we be willing to rethink what we value and the reasons we value it”. The forms in which the textiles are wrapped around in Heavy Rag, legitimizes the male gaze while prompting viewers to combat its own legitimacy. The viewer is then able to gain consciousness and “put on the boxing gloves” to defeat the male gaze.
Conclusion
As observed in Mirror Piece I (1969/2010), poststructuralism was revolutionary to the postmodernist movement due to its awakening of the subconscious. Postmodernism notions indicted in Untitled (2018), that the viewers active role is dependent to the interpretation of a work. As investigated in Heavy Rag (2018), the feminist movement reinforces post modernism by confronting the male gaze. Through the examination of the postmodern pluralism subcategories, viewers of art become conscious of societal, political, and ethical concerns rooted in avoidance. By exploring the ambiguity of postmodern pluralism, one becomes enlightened by the interconnectedness of aesthetics and art in life. As postmodernism pluralism continues to expand rapidly, new ideas and concepts will become clearer.
References
Barrett, T. (2017). Why is that art?: Aesthetics and criticism of contemporary art(Third ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Buckman, Z. (n.d.). Heavy Rag [Digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.zoebuckman.com/art/heavy-rag-art/
Devereaux, M. (2002). Oppressive Texts, Resisting Readers, and the Gendered Spectators: The 'New' Aesthetics. In A. Neil & A. Ridley (Eds.), Arguing about Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates(2nd ed., p. 384). NY: Routledge.
HEAVY RAG. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2019, from http://www.zoebuckman.com/art/heavy-rag-art/
Jonas, J. (n.d.). Mirror Piece I (1969) [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/about/blog/5-questions-for-joan-jonas/
Jonas, J. (n.d.). Mirror Piece I (2010) [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/about/blog/5-questions-for-joan-jonas/
McMennamy, S. (n.d.). Untitled [Ski Ice Cream Cone]. Retrieved from http://stephgram.blogspot.com/2016/08/week-five-stephen-mcmennamy.html
Mirror Piece I. (2019, March 20). Retrieved March 27, 2019, from https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/24749
N., & Gordon, L. (2000). No More Miss America (R. Baxandall, Ed.). Dear Sisters: Dispatches from the Women's Liberation Movement,184-185. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
The Artist: Joan Jonas. (2014, April 06). Retrieved from http://joanjonasvenice2015.com/artist-joan-jonas/
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