As culture changes, so do art movements. First, there was Modernism, but artists broke away from that concept to embrace the idea that theory would not lead their work. In the mid-1960s, Postmodernism is born, replacing Modernism. It was better known as anti-Modernism. Postmodernist work consisted of political leanings and ironic stances. These pieces were meant to completely abandon the grand narrative. Pluralism went hand-in-hand with Modernism. This is because Pluralism refers to the nature of art forms and artists as diverse. The cultural context of art is all encompassing in its respect for the art of the world’s cultures. This gave more equality in art and worked concurrently with Postmodernist beliefs. I do not believe a Post postmodernism is necessary because principles of Postmodernism still affects artists today. For example, Semiotics, Poststructuralism, Deconstruction remain relevant in artists’ works. Artists are still liberated from strict constraints of Formalist theory, and aesthetic pluralism still reigns with a multiplicity of styles and art forms. Culture will always be changing, a new art movement is not necessary because Postmodernism can easily evolve.

An artist that can be considered a Postmodernist is Cindy Sherman. Cindy Sherman is a perfect candidate for Poststructuralism and Postmodernism because her visual assertions of “femininity” is a construct rather than something innate or natural. Even Sherman herself explained her work by saying, “I don’t theorize when I work. I would read theoretical stuff about my work and think, ‘What? Where did they get that?’ The work was so intuitive for me. I didn’t know where it is coming from.” (Barrett, 188) Many artists today will work with similar ideas in mind, these constructs are still very relevant in their work. The need to not want work theorized does not have an expiration date.

On the other hand, some people believe that a post Post-modernism is necessary. Most of this notion is fueled by the idea that technology has impacted culture and thus art itself. I don’t believe that should be a leading factor because technology does not impact intention. Even though Postmodernism occurred before the new wave of technology, it should not make the art movement obsolete. The existing movement of Postmodernism should be continued and societal forces allow it to do so. Postmodernism inspired many artists of this new generation that their work no longer has to be seen as “beautiful”, this awareness still opens many doors for the ideas of current artists creating a grand narrative of no narrative.

Work Cited

Barrett, Terry. “Postmodern Pluralism.” Why Is That Art?: Aesthetics and Criticism of Contemporary Art. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. 170-189. Print.

Green, Daniel. “On The Contemporary.” : Pre and Post Post-Modern: Art in a Globalized World. N.p., 12 Sept. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2015

Kirby, Alan. “The Death of Postmodernism And Beyond.” The Death of Postmodernism And Beyond. Philosophy Now, 2006. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

Kirby, Alan. “Successor States to an Empire in Free Fall.” Times Higher Education. N.p., 26 May 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

Cindy Sherman is a photographer that sees herself as more of a performance artist. This is because she is both the photographer and the subject. In her work, she disguises herself in different personas. She claims innocence in her “Untitled Film Stills”, but there is definitely traces of her fighting colonialism with feminism. This is shown as she breaks the construct of the unequal relationship of power of the white photographer over the colonized subject, usually of color. The subject was usually displayed as submissive, exotic, and primitive. In other cases, it was a wealthy white man photographer and the nonwhite female subject. She breaks this in her style of being both the photographer and the subject of her work. Sherman’s feminism in her work is also displayed as she takes on her different roles. Her style embraces self-invention, allowing woman to feel liberated to take on the many roles in their everyday life, such as, the siren housewife, the lady of leisure, the career girl, etc.

As Sherman’s work progressed, she has still refused to let theory dictate her work, her does as she pleases and then critics pull theories from it. For example, in one of her pieces from the “Centerfold” series, there is a woman lying in black sheets. Sherman said that the piece was supposed to display a woman who had a long night partying and woke up, but she said critics see it and see a rape victim. She never liked having theory control her work, that is why in the Art 21 documentary she explained that she never named her pieces after the “Untitled Film Stills”, other people gave them titles by category, such as, “Centerfolds”, “Clowns”, “Fashion”, etc.

I personally do not believe that an artist’s work should not be completely driven by theory, unless that is how they feel they can only grasp their creativity. It all depends on the artist’s personal style. For me, it seems stifling because that’s not why I create. A good reason to understand theory as an artist is because it can potentially change the whole meaning of the work to some viewers, like how critics saw Sherman’s work differently. Accepting or adapting to one postmodern belief can really limit some artists and how their work is perceived. It seems that as soon as they accept it, they are stuck in that bubble. On the other hand, it can really fuel global affairs while changing the world of art if someone embraces them.

Barrett, Terry. “Postmodern Pluralism.” Why Is That Art?: Aesthetics and Criticism of Contemporary Art. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. 181-188. Print.

Clement Greenberg was known for “making” some artists, such as, Jackson Pollock due to his critiques that were universally acknowledged. A term that came from this, that many artists tried to avoid, was Greenbergian Formalism. He believed that the primary value of works relied on form. In his view, art should not be perceived by subject matter or the artists’ narrative, only form. Every other aspect of the work should be ignored. Flatness is another important aspect of Greenbergian Formalism. The text states that, “Flatness means that a painting should have no illusions and external references but attain the autonomy of self-reference” (Barrett, 126).

One artist that resisted Greenbergian Formalism is Andy Goldsworthy. Andy Goldsworthy is an environmental sculptor that relies on materials solely from nature. His pieces are site-specific and ephemeral. His work lasts only as nature allows, so most of his pieces can only be seen in photographs. Goldsworthy resists this label because even though his work focuses on form, many other design principles are focused on as well. In “Rivers and Tides” Goldsworthy uses the iron in stones to turn the color of the water red. During that segment, Goldsworthy explains a lot about the power of color and the energy it gives off. Another example would be Goldsworthy’s work creating black holes in nature. He explains how life ebbs and flows throughout it and we are drawn into this intangible absence. In context to the black hole in the tree, Goldsworthy portrays how there can be growth through this darkness. This subject matter would mean nothing in Greenbergian Formalism.

Greenberg would not think took highly of Goldsworthy’s work anyway. Goldsworthy believed that perception differed from reality. In “Rivers and Tides”, Goldsworthy explains how the lamb are perceived as these docile, fluffy animals, but truly they are powerful creatures. He works to see the two different perspectives. This idea contradicts Greenberg’s flatness. Also Goldsworthy’s pieces are very spiritual. He is inspired by the ocean and the sea. When he would create pieces by the shoreline or in the water, he did not solely make them to be destroyed. He saw them as a gift to the sea, and the sea could make more of it than he ever hoped for.

I believe a better fit for Goldsworthy’s work would be Bellian early-modern “significant form” criterion because Goldsworthy’s work allows the viewer to have an aesthetic response. Clive Bell believed that, “If one has an aesthetic response to a work, it is because it has ‘significant form’ or lack thereof” (Barrett, 125). On the other hand, Bell saw Realism and narratives as secondary importance. Even though Greenbergian Formalism seems similar, I believe it is a good fit.

Works Cited

Artis Reflex. “Rivers and Tides Partie 1 – Vidéo Dailymotion.” Dailymotion. N.p., 01 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Artis Reflex. “Rivers and Tides Partie 2 – Vidéo Dailymotion.” Dailymotion. N.p., 01 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Barrett, Terry. “Formalism.” Why Is That Art?: Aesthetics and Criticism of Contemporary Art. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. 125-152. Print.