Introducing Postmodernism

193 Pages·2004·7.27 MB·English

by  Richard Appignanesi

INTRODUCING
Postmodernism
RichardAppignanesi • Chris Garratt
with
Ziauddin Sardar • Patrick Curry
0
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First edition published inthe UK and
Australia in 1995 underthe title
Postmodemism forBeginnersand in
1999 underthe currenttitle; second
edition first published in2003
Reprinted 1995,1996, 1997, 1998,
1999, 2000 (twice), 2001, 2002, 2005
Textcopyright© 1995, 2003 Richard Appignanesi,
Ziauddin Sardarand PatrickCurry
Illustrationscopyright© 1:~95, 2003Chris Garratt
,,;,r~e authorsand artist have assertedtheirmoral rights.
Originating editor: Richard Appignanesi
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Theoriginsof
'postmodemism'
Sir,-Thefirstuseoftheterm "postmodemism"
(Letters,February19)isbefore1926,andextends
tothe1870s,whenitwasusedbytheBritishartist
JohnWatkinsChapman,and1917wbenusedby
RudolfPannwitz."Post-Impressionism"(1880s)
and"post-industrial"(1914-22) werethe begin
ningof the "posties",whichflowered intermit
tently in the early 19605in literature, social
thought, economics and even religion ("Poo
Christianity"). "Posteriority",the negative·feel
ingofcomingafteracreativeageor,conversely,
the positive feeling of transcending a negative
ideology,reallydevelopsinthe19705,inarchitec
ture and literature, two centres of the post
modemdebate(hyphenatedhalfthetimetoindi
cateautonomyandapositive,constructivemove
ment). "Deconstructivepostmodernism"comes
to the fore after the French post-structuralists
(Lyotard,Derrida,Baudrillard)becameaccepted
intheUnitedStatesinthelate19705,andnowhalf
the academic world believes postmodemismis
confined to negative dialectics and deconstruc-
\lion. But inthe 19805aseriesof new, creative
movementsoccurred,variouslycalled"construct
ive","ecological","grounded",and"restructive"
post-modernism.
It isclear that twobasicmovementsexist, as
wellas"thepostmodemcondition","reactionary
postmodernism" and "consumer postmodem
ism";forexample,theinformationage,thePope,
and Madonna. Ifone wantsan impartial,scho
larlyguidetoallthis,MargaretRose's ThePost
ModernandthePost-Industrial: A criticala1Ul
lysis,1991,servesverywell.
Ishouldaddthatone ofthegreatstrengthsof
the word, and the concept, and whyit willbe
around for another hundred years, isthat it is
carefully suggestive about our having gone
beyond theworld-viewofmodernism- whichis
clearlyinadequate-withoutSPecifyingwherewe
are going.Thatiswhymostpeople willsponta
neouslyuseit, asiffor the firsttime. Butsince
"Modernism"wascoinedapparentlyintheThird
Century,perhapsitsfirstusewasthen.
CHARLES JENCKS
London
-------~-------
- eanda1'\,
_"IIIIIIIIII_",w--4I"·~·rn~o.r-de{fl architectu~ut
'Hhatdoes
thOri\Yonpos postmodern· upthe story
{\eSJenCKS,anauningottheterm ..accurate\'!.sumb\etermthat
ena. use1U\scan "ostmodero.. a1asn\ons.. ?
pro",des a ctice'? ooes p 1'1Oris\tlUst · a\conddion·
pr~e prese~~ur
itmeanin \i"ing at tOlehistone
otwhat'lie;en\ightenedabO
leavesus
First, let'. consi4erthe WORO•••
Whatdoyou mean postmodem?The confusion isadvertised bythe
"post"prefixedto "modem". Postmodernism identifiesitselfby
somethingitisn't. Itisn'tmodemanymore. But inwhat sense exactlyis it
post...
-as a result of modernism?
-the aftermath of modernism?
-the afterbirth of modernism?
-the development of modernism?
-the denial of modernism?
-the rejection of modernism?
Postmodem has been used ina mix-and-matchof some or all ofthese
meanings.Postmodernism isaconfusion ofmeaningsstemmingfrom
two riddles...
-it resists and obscuresthe sense of modernism
-it impliesacomplete knowledgeofthe modemwhich has been
surpassed by a new age.
Anew age? An age, any age,'is definedby the evidenceof historic
changes inthe waywe see, thln~ and produce.We can identifythese
changes as belongingto the spheresof art,theoryand economic
history, andexplore themforapractical definitionofpostmodemism.
Let'sbegin with artbytracing the genealogy of postmodern art.
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PARTONE:THE GENEALOGY Of POSTMODERN ART
We could begin byvisiting an installation bythe Conceptual artist Daniel
Buren (b.1939), entitled On two levels with two eeteurs (1976),
which features avertically striped band atthe floor levels oftwo
adjoininggalleryrooms, one atastep upfrom the other. Empty rooms,
nothing else...
.0
HOW DID WE Po WE WANT
GETTo-mIS? STAY?
.!!...I
iii Ii ~
I'! 1'1' "!' 1'1
I
5
What'l MMn11he. ."the OW
Modemcomesfrom the Latinwordmodo,meaning"just now".Since
whenhavewebeen modem?Forasurprisinglylongtime,asthe
followingexampleshows.
Around1127,the Abbot Sugarbeganreconstructinghis abbey
basilicaofSt.Den~inParis.Hisarchitecturalideasresultedin
somethingneverseenbefore, a"newlook" neitherclassicallyGreek
norRoman norRomanesque.
Sugardidn'tknowwhattocallit,sohe feU'backonthe Latin,opus .
modernum.A modern work.
D
.11I,~,·n··u'~
Sugarhelpedtoinaugurateanimmenselyinfluentialarchitecturalstyle
whichbecameknownastheGothic.
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Gothicwas infact aterm ofabuse, coined by Italian Renaissance
theorists, meaninga northern or German barbaric style. The ideal
style of Renaissancearchitectsandartists was the classical Greek, or
what they called theantica e buona maniera moderna -the ancient
and good modemstyle.
-------....l~J=-~c1j
,,-_:,,~-:--~~-_ ,~
..
- BECAOSE NATU2E
AND rlEASON HAVE
-' SI-IOWN US --mAT THE
_C£ASSrt;AL ISI1-fE
- ONLYtrzUE ANt>
, :. PE~ENNIAU-Y
-MODEI2H S1YLE.
Ever since then, architectshave been arguing aboutwhat best
represents aperennial style -classical, gothic, modem oreven
postmodern.
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DillectialAntlgonism
At leastsincemedievaltimes, there has been a motivatingsenseof
antagonism between "then"and "now", between ancientand modem.
Historicalperiodsinthe Westhavefollowedone anotherin'disafflnity
with whathas gonebefore.ArejeCtionofone'simmediatepredecessors
seemsalmostinstinctivelygenerational.
Theresult ofthis historicaldialectic (from the Greek,.debate or
discourse) isthatWesternculture recognizesno singletradition.
Historyiscarved upinto conceptual periods-.
8bfeUQI.
\-~~~'.-:
Renaissance
and so on. Theseantagonisticperiodsare Westernculture'ssets of
tradition, a sortof "periodictable"oftradition.
Tradition inthe Westisconstitutedand indeed energized bywhatisin
combatwith it.
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AnotherpeculiarityofWestern culture isitsstronglyhistoricist bias,a
beliefthat historydeterminesthe way things are and must be.
KarlMarx's dialectical materialismprovided the classic historicist
formula.
Marxism established a structural differencebetween society's
traditional or cultural institutionsand itseconomicproductiveforces.
Rapid-paced progressoccursinthe Infrastructure,the economic
sphereofproductiveactivitieswhich supports but also subvertsthe
superstructure, the social sphere ofideologywhich includesreligion,
art,politics, law andalltraditional attitudes. The superstructure
evolvesmore slowly and is more resistant tochange than the economic
infrastructure, especiallyin the modem industrialage of advanced
capitalism.
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