postmodernism
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Post- Modernism
prefix which
means “after”
time of belief in
an absolute
universal truth
= after the time of belief in an absolute universal truth
Modernism Postmodernism
Industrial Revolution Period of mass
media
Laments
fragmentation
Celebrates
fragmentation
Works of art can
provide meaning to
the world
Works of art cannot
provide meaning to
the meaningless
world
Learn things to know
them
Learn things to use
them
Failure of Industrial Revolution,
WWII and Poverty (1900-1940s)
Revolt against
dehumanization of industrialism
Sense that Western culture
had lost its bearings & values
0Failure of Industrial Revolution,
WWII and Poverty (1900-1940s)
Exposure of hypocritical
moralism of Christianity
Popularization of Charles
Darwin’s evolutionary theory
The Year of Student
Revolution (1968)
Architectural student rebellion against modernist teachers
“Break the rules!
Mix up styles!
Play with space!
Defy gravity if you like!”
Space Race
(1950s)
Identity
Movements:
Feminism and
Black Power
(1960s)
Beatles (1963)
JFK Assassination
(1963)
Culture Wars:
Debates over
Canonical Inclusion
(1980s)
Release of
Michael Jackson’s
Thriller (1983)
“Postmodernism is
incredulity towards
Meta-narratives.” Jean-Francois Lyotard,
The Postmodern Condition
(1979)
There is no true worldview.
Knowledge is the result of
culture and language.
Reality is from our individual
interpretation.
Notions regarded as universal
are mere social constructs.
Deconstruction
by Jacques Derrida
Texts are incapable
of conveying truth
about objective
reality
Released text ends
the author’s
ownership
Iconoclasm: anti-cultural
standards
Groundless: anti-final
interpretation
Formlessness: anti-influential
metaphor
Populism: anti-restriction
CONSUMER CAPITALISM Global economy
Outsourcing and free
trade agreements
Decline in
manufacturing
Rise in unemployment
Increase in part-time
flexible and home
working
LIMITLESS
Nonlinearity
Multiple styles, multiple goals
Seemingly disjointed
Influence of digital
technology
Marilyn Monroe by Andi Warhol
Playing with Gods by Morimura Yasumasa
How Mali Lost Her Accent by Pacita Abad
Cocktail Party by Sandy Skoglund
Wrapped Trees
BOLD AESTHETICS
Styles collide
New ways of viewing
familiar styles
Artists call attention to their
environment rather than to
themselves
Guggenheim Museum by Frank Gehry
Dancing House by Vlado Milunic
DG Bank Building by Hans Schober
Royal Ontario Museum by William Thorsell
Food Theater Café by Daniel Libeskind
MULTICULTURALISM
Breakdown of cultural
boundaries
Discussing sex is not a taboo
Can be in any religion and still
recognize others
Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Gay Marriage
King of Talk Boy Abunda
Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet
Playboy
Barack Obama
HYPERREALITY More real than reality itself
Reality as entertainment
Refers to other texts and
assumes familiarity
Emphasis on image and style
rather than meaning
Homer Simpson as Da Vinci’s Human Body
Spiderman Kiss in Shrek
The Matrix
Reality TV
Lady Gaga
Madonna
TECHNOPOLY
Revolves around Cyberspace
and Virtual Reality
Social interactions happen
online
Cocooning - people cannot
live without computer
Social Networking
Vatican’s Youtube Account Cyber Bullying
Cocooning
‘There is no absolute
truth’ is a statement that
claims
to be absolutely true.
Therefore,
Postmodernism refutes itself.
The deconstruction
of foundational views will lead to
recognition and
acceptance of a
pluralistic worldview.
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Rejects boundaries
Deliberately violates standards
of sense and decency
Shows constant struggle:
man vs. man, man vs. self and
man vs. society
Creation of intrusive breaks
and ironies
Irony, playfulness, black
humor
Pastiche
Metafiction
Paranoia
Temporal distortion
Intertextuality
Joseph Heller
Catch 22
Known for his satires and
playwrights
Works center on the lives of
various members of the middle
class
Has a non-chronological style
Events are described from different points -of-view so that
the time line develops along
with the plot
Kurt Vonnegut
Known for using Pastiche in his
works
Blends satire, black comedy,
and science fiction to create
novels
Breakfast of Champions
Uses paranoia
Has a character who becomes
violent when he imagines
people as robots while he remains as the only human
Thomas Pynchon
The Crying of Lot 49
Known for fictional writing over
many different subjects such as
science, mathematics and
history
Uses humorous wordplay while discussing serious subjects
Has comic character names
(e.g. Mike Fallopian, Stanley Koteks and Dr. Hilarius)
Amy Tan
The Kitchen God’s Wife
Challenges the dominant narratives of contemporary
society about who matters
and who does not
Known for writing works which
explore mother-daughter relationships
Jessica Hagedorn
Dogeaters
Known for works with a collision of cultures, the saga
of immigration, cultural
meltdown and renewal
Uses a whirlwind pastiche of life
in the Philippines just before the
fall of the Marcos regime
Nick Carbo
Secret Asian Man
Editor of the groundbreaking
anthology of Filipino and Filipino
American poetry, Returning A
Borrowed Tongue
Uses a hilarious yet heartbreaking
look at the immigrant experience
Revolves on a hero who
becomes a spy, sniffing out the
criminals of America's racist pop
culture and Iiterary canon
Miguel Syjuco Locally and Internationally
acclaimed Filipino writer
2008 winner of Palanca Awards
Grand Prize for English Novel and
Man Asian Literary Prize
IlustradoNames a character after the
author himself who investigates
to discover the truth behind the
death of renowned writer
Crispin Salvador
How is Postmodernism related
to Popular Culture?
Postmodernism Popular Culture
birth of individual
interpretations of
reality
mass commercial
culture
Cultural commodities which have
resources that people can consume to
give meaning to their social identity and
relations become popular.
Ashton, J. (2005). From Modernism to Postmodernism.
New York: Cambridge University Press.
Basson, A. (2007). Postmodernism. Academia Nuts, 1-2.
Deely, J. (2000, November 21). The Beginning of
Postmodern Times. The Red Book. Helsinki,
Yliopisto, Finland: University of Helsinki.
Featherstone, M. (2007). Consumer Culture and
Postmodernism. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Shrader, R. (2006). Postmodernism. Collins: Bethel
Baptist Church.
Taylor, V., & Winquist, C. (2001). Encyclopedia of
Postmodernism. London: Routledge.
Vanhoozer, K. (2003). The Cambridge Companion to
Postmodern Theology. New York: Cambridge
University Press.