the aesthetics of postmodernism. modernity n god, reason and progress n there was a center to the...
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The Aesthetics ofPostmodernism
Modernity
God, reason and progress
There was a center to the universe.
Progress is based upon knowledge, and man is capable of discerning objective absolute truths in science and the arts.
Modernism is linked to capitalism—progressive economic administration of world
Modernization of 3rd world countries (imposition of modern Western values)
Newtonian Order
TRADITIONAL WESTERN “MODERN” THINKING
What is Modernism?
The world according to White Anglo-Saxon males, based upon the mythology of Western Europe, rooted in the Judeo-Christian religion and Greek-Roman philosophy.
Western man is superior.
Progress, reason and science are the highest manifestations of humanity.
Western man was put one earth to modernize the world (e.g., Manifest Density, the Columbus myth).
The rest of the world consists of barbarians and “orientals” (ergo, colonialization)
Acceptance of a New Age
POSTMODERNISM
“Modern” View of Literature & Film
Good literature is of timeless significance.
The text will reveal constants, universal truths, about human nature, because human nature itself is constant and unchanging.
Good literature is honest and sincere.
Art is to be respected, and belongs on a pedestal.
There are accepted traditional standards for different art forms & genres that should be obeyed and respected.
Purpose of Literature
TRADITIONAL WESTERN “MODERN” THINKING
Language: The “Modern” View
People are the same everywhere
There are universal laws and truths
Knowledge is objective, independent of culture, gender, etc.
Language is a man-made tool that refers to real things / absolute truths
I, the subject, speak language
I have a discernible self
The self is the center of existence
What Is Language?
as
TRADITIONAL WESTERN “MODERN” THINKING
Modernism
Early 1900s:
World War I
Worldwide poverty & exploitation
Death of the Old Order
PRECURSORS OF POSTMODERNISM
Modernism
Early 1900s:
World War I
Worldwide poverty & exploitation
Intellectual upheaval:
Freud: psychoanalysis
Marx: class struggle
Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Neitzsche
Picasso, Stravinsky, Kafka, Proust, Brecht, Joyce, Eliot
Death of the Old Order
PRECURSORS OF POSTMODERNISM
Relativism
Einstein: relativity, quantum mechanics
Refutation of Newtonian science
Time is relative
Matter and energy are one
Light as both particle and wave
Universe is strange
The Bending of Time & Space
PRECURSORS OF POSTMODERNISM
E=mc2
Modernist Art
Cubism
Surrealism
Dadaism
Expressionism
Different ways of depicting reality
Fragmentation of reality
BUT STILL A BELIEF IN AN OBJECTIVE REALITY (for the most part)
Breaking the Rules
PRECURSORS OF POSTMODERNISM
What is Postmodernism?
A term applied to all human sciences —anthropology, psychology, architecture, history, etc.
Anti-foundational
Anti-Western
Rejection of universal truths and grand narratives
Truth is pluralistic, dependent upon the frame of reference of the observer
Celebrates diversity
Acceptance of a New Age
POSTMODERNISM
What is Postmodernism?
The Enlightenment project is toast.
Acceptance of a New Age
POSTMODERNISM
Postmodernism: Basic Concepts
All versions of reality are SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS
Concepts of good and evil
Metaphors for God
Language
The self
Gender
Aesthetics
EVERYTHING!
The End of Master Narratives
POSTMODERNISM
Postmodernism: Basic Concepts
Life just is
All “truths” are contingent cultural constructs
Mass-mediated reality
Multiple conflicting identities
Sense of fragmentation and decentered self
Does not mourn loss of history or universal truths
The End of Master Narratives
POSTMODERNISM
Postmodernism: Basic Concepts
Knowledge is contingent, contextual and linked to POWER
Values are derived from ordinary social practices, which differ from culture to culture and change with time
Values are determined by manipulation and domination
Language is a social construct that “speaks” & identifies the subject
Language As Social Construct
POSTMODERNISM
Postmodern View of Language
Observer is a participant/part of what is observed
Receiver of message is a component of the message
Information becomes information only when contextualized
The individual (the subject) is a cultural construct
Consider role of own culture when examining others
All interpretation is conditioned by cultural perspective and mediated by symbols and practice
The Observer is King
POSTMODERNISM
Postmodern View of Language
SIGNIFIED
Meaning
SIGNIFIER
Sound or written word
Signifier & Signified
as
STRUCTURALISM
Postmodern View of Language
SIGNIFIED
Meaning
SIGNIFIER
Sound or written word
Signifier & Signified
as
STRUCTURALISM
as
Postmodern View of Language
SIGNIFIED
Meaning
SIGNIFIER
Sound or written word
Signifier & Signified
as
STRUCTURALISM
OTHER SIGNIFIERS
Sound or written words
as
Modernity PostModern
History as fact
Faith in social order
Family as central unit
Authenticity of originals
Mass consumption
Binary Oppositions
POSTMODERNISM
Written by the victors
Cultural pluralism
Alternate families
Hyper-reality (MTV)
Niches; small group identity
Modern or Postmodern?
POSTMODERNISM
Modern or Postmodern?
POSTMODERNISM
Modern or Postmodern?
POSTMODERNISM
Modern or Postmodern?
POSTMODERNISM
Modern or Postmodern?
POSTMODERNISM
A gay Southern Baptist who practices Buddhist meditation and believes in the Big Bang theory.
Modern or Postmodern
PostModern Literature & Film
No guiding traditional grand narratives
Extreme freedom of form and expression
Rejects traditional linear narratives
Plays with time and space
Repudiation of boundaries of narration & genre
Self-reflexive
Deliberate violation of standards of sense and decency (which are viewed as methods of social control)
It’s only a movie
POSTMODERNISM
4-2-5-1-6-2-3-4
PostModern Literature & Film
Characters on the margins of society
Mix of high and low brow art forms
Integration of everyday experience, pop and consumer culture
Playful treatment of serious subjects (no gnashing of teeth)
Doesn’t take itself seriously (no pretentious universal truths)
Has fun with language and imagery (MTV like)
Mix of media & styles
POSTMODERNISM
PostModern Literature & Film
Death of the “modern” hero
From Greek literature to “modern” times
“Great” men who triumph over evil
Rugged, self-reliant individuals
High moral values
Conquerors, prophets, visionaries
Heroes for the rest of us to worship and emulate
Highest reflection of our desired national or cultural identity
Rocky is Dead
POSTMODERNISM
PostModern Literature & Film
The postmodern “anti-hero”
Imperfect individuals “trapped in existence”
Convey moods of cynicism, fear and distrust
Limited “powers” to resolve problems
Often fail in their ventures
Frequently outcasts, at the margins of society
Deeper, richer characters
Reflections of a decentralized world order
Create own “moral” standards
Creatures of the dark side
POSTMODERNISM
PostModern Literature & Film
Anti-Heroes
POSTMODERNISM
PostModern Literature Parody, play, black humor, pastiche
Ambiguities and uncertainties
Ironic detachment
Postcolonial, global-English literature
Global
Celebrate diversity of views and lifestyles
Fragmented Identities
POSTMODERNISM
Pastiche--Self-referential, tongue-in-cheek, rehashes of classic pop culture
Flattening of Affect--Technology, violence, drugs, and the media lead to detached, emotionless, unauthentic lives
Hyperreality--Technologically created realities are often more authentic or desirable than the real world
Time Bending--Time travel provides another way to shape reality and play "what if" games with society
Altered States--Drugs and technology provide a darker, sometimes psychedelic, gateway to new internal realities
More Human than Human--Artificial intelligence, robotics, and cybernetics seek to enhance, or replace, humanity
Fragmented Identities
POSTMODERNISM
Overview of Postmodern Movies
Examples of Postmodern Film
Fragmented Identities
POSTMODERNISM
Literary & FilmTheory
Celebrating Diversity
POSTMODERNISM
Different constructs of reality
“Lenses” through which we see the world ?
PostModernism
“The narrative is unraveled, the author is dead, the Enlightenment project is toast, and history is history.”
“An epochal shift in the basic condition in being.”
--Geoffrey Nunberg
An Epochal Shift in Thinking
POSTMODERNISM
Battle of World Views
HOLLYWOOD FUNDAMENTIALISM
POSTMODERNISM vs. FOUNDATIONALISM
VS
PostModernism
A Global Battle:
THE OBJECTIVISTS vs. THE CONSTRUCTIVISTSModern Postmodern
Battle of World Views
POSTMODERNISM
PostModernism
Modernists are still around
My Way
POSTMODERNISM
“When I said during my presidential bid that I would only bring Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. How dare you maintain that those who believe in the Judeo-Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?' My simple answer is, `Yes, they are.'”
-from Pat Robertson's "The New World Order"
PostModernism
You can be a Christian (or Buddhist, or Hindu, etc.) in the postmodern world.
God is Not Dead
POSTMODERNISM
PostModernism
We all slip and slide between the objective and constructive views:
1. We live in a world of naïve realism. (We accept grand narratives as true.)
2. But when we think about things, or have to explain our views, we become constructivists.
We Live in the Middle
POSTMODERNISM
PostModernism
THE HOPE OF POSTMODERNISTS:
The deconstruction of foundational views will lead to a recognition and acceptance of a pluralistic worldview.
Create a truly global civilization.
Celebrating Diversity
POSTMODERNISM