🖼️Art History – Theories and Methods Unit 9 – Postmodernism and Institutional Critique

Key Concepts and Origins

• Postmodernism emerged as a reaction against the perceived limitations and grand narratives of modernism in the late 20th century
• Rejects the notion of universal truths, objective reality, and the idea of progress in art and culture
• Embraces pluralism, relativism, and the coexistence of multiple perspectives and interpretations
• Draws from various philosophical and theoretical frameworks, including post-structuralism, deconstruction, and semiotics
  • Post-structuralism challenges the idea of fixed meanings and emphasizes the role of language and discourse in shaping reality
  • Deconstruction, as developed by Jacques Derrida, involves the critical analysis and dismantling of binary oppositions and hierarchies in texts and cultural practices
• Questions the authority and autonomy of the artist, emphasizing the role of the viewer in the creation of meaning
• Blurs the boundaries between high art and popular culture, often incorporating elements of mass media, advertising, and consumerism

Historical Context

• Postmodernism gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with significant social, political, and cultural shifts
• Influenced by the civil rights movement, feminist theory, and the rise of identity politics, which challenged dominant power structures and narratives
• Emerged in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, leading to a questioning of the Enlightenment ideals of reason, progress, and human emancipation
• Coincided with the rise of globalization, mass media, and the proliferation of images and information in the postwar era
• Developed alongside the growth of consumer culture and the commodification of art in the art market
• Influenced by the Cold War and the ideological tensions between capitalism and communism
• Shaped by the countercultural movements of the 1960s, including the anti-war movement, sexual revolution, and experimentation with drugs and alternative lifestyles

Major Thinkers and Artists

• Jean-François Lyotard, a French philosopher, introduced the term "postmodern condition" in his 1979 book, critiquing the grand narratives of modernity and emphasizing the importance of local and contingent forms of knowledge
• Jean Baudrillard, a French sociologist and philosopher, explored the concepts of simulation, hyperreality, and the implosion of meaning in contemporary culture
• Fredric Jameson, an American literary critic and Marxist political theorist, analyzed the cultural logic of late capitalism and the emergence of postmodernism as a dominant cultural form
• Michel Foucault, a French philosopher, examined the relationship between power, knowledge, and discourse, influencing postmodern theories of subjectivity and identity
• Cindy Sherman, an American artist, challenged traditional notions of representation and identity through her staged photographic self-portraits
  • Her "Untitled Film Stills" series (1977-1980) appropriated the visual language of Hollywood cinema to explore the construction of female stereotypes
• Barbara Kruger, an American artist, combined text and images from mass media to critique consumerism, gender roles, and power relations
• Sherrie Levine, an American artist, questioned the concepts of originality and authorship through her appropriation of iconic works of art by male artists

Postmodern Art Movements

• Neo-Expressionism, which emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, rejected the cool detachment of minimalism and conceptual art in favor of a return to figurative painting and emotional intensity (Georg Baselitz, Julian Schnabel)
• Neo-Geo, or Neo-Geometric Conceptualism, combined the formal language of geometric abstraction with references to consumer culture and mass media (Peter Halley, Ashley Bickerton)
• Pictures Generation, a group of artists who appropriated images from popular culture and mass media to explore issues of representation, identity, and consumerism (Richard Prince, Louise Lawler)
• Appropriation Art, which involved the use of pre-existing images, objects, and texts to create new works of art that questioned the notions of originality and authorship (Sherrie Levine, Jeff Koons)
• Institutional Critique, a practice that emerged in the late 1960s and 1970s, which interrogated the power structures and ideological biases of art institutions (Hans Haacke, Andrea Fraser)
• Feminist Art, which challenged the male-dominated canon of art history and explored issues of gender, sexuality, and identity through various media and practices (Judy Chicago, Guerrilla Girls)
• Postcolonial Art, which addressed the legacies of colonialism, imperialism, and cultural hegemony, often through the use of hybrid forms and strategies of appropriation and subversion (Yinka Shonibare, Kara Walker)

Institutional Critique: Theory and Practice

• Institutional Critique emerged as a critical practice that questioned the neutrality and autonomy of art institutions, such as museums, galleries, and art schools
• Examines the ways in which art institutions shape the production, display, and reception of art, often perpetuating dominant ideologies and power structures
• Reveals the hidden biases, exclusions, and contradictions within the art world, such as the underrepresentation of women and artists of color, the commodification of art, and the elitism of the art market
• Hans Haacke's "MoMA Poll" (1970) invited visitors to vote on the political affiliations of the museum's board members, exposing the links between art institutions and corporate power
• Andrea Fraser's performances and writings critique the social and economic conditions of the art world, often using humor and irony to expose its contradictions and complicities
  • Her performance "Museum Highlights: A Gallery Talk" (1989) involved Fraser posing as a museum docent and delivering a satirical tour that revealed the hidden ideologies and power dynamics of the institution
• Fred Wilson's "Mining the Museum" (1992) juxtaposed objects from the Maryland Historical Society's collection to reveal the hidden histories of racism and colonialism embedded within the museum's displays
• Renée Green's "Import/Export Funk Office" (1992) created a fictional import/export business that explored the global circulation of African American culture and the commodification of black identity

Case Studies and Artworks

• Barbara Kruger's "Untitled (I Shop Therefore I Am)" (1987) appropriates the visual language of advertising to critique consumer culture and the commodification of identity
• Cindy Sherman's "Untitled #153" (1985) from her "Disasters" series depicts a grotesque and disturbing scene that challenges the idealized representations of the female body in art and media
• Jeff Koons' "Michael Jackson and Bubbles" (1988) is a life-sized porcelain sculpture that appropriates the image of the pop star and his pet chimpanzee, blurring the boundaries between art, kitsch, and celebrity culture
• Sherrie Levine's "After Walker Evans" (1981) is a series of photographs that reproduce iconic images by the American photographer Walker Evans, questioning the notions of originality and authorship in art
• Guerrilla Girls' "Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?" (1989) is a poster that uses humor and statistics to expose the underrepresentation of women artists in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection
• Felix Gonzalez-Torres' "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) (1991) is a pile of candy that invites viewers to take a piece, symbolizing the artist's partner's weight loss and eventual death from AIDS, and the participation of the audience in the work's meaning and duration
• Kara Walker's "A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby" (2014) is a massive sugar-coated sphinx-like figure that explores the histories of slavery, race, and power in America, installed in the former Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn

Impact on Contemporary Art

• Postmodernism and Institutional Critique have had a lasting impact on contemporary art practice and discourse, challenging the traditional boundaries and hierarchies of the art world
• The legacy of appropriation and the questioning of originality and authorship continue to inform the work of many contemporary artists, such as Hank Willis Thomas and Kehinde Wiley
• The critique of power structures and the emphasis on social and political engagement have become central concerns for many contemporary artists and curators
  • The rise of social practice art and participatory art projects, such as Theaster Gates' Dorchester Projects and Tania Bruguera's Immigrant Movement International, reflect the influence of Institutional Critique and the desire to create art that directly engages with communities and social issues
• The proliferation of digital technologies and the internet has further blurred the boundaries between art, popular culture, and mass media, leading to new forms of appropriation, remix, and online activism
• The increased attention to issues of diversity, inclusion, and representation in the art world, as seen in the work of artists such as Mickalene Thomas and the curatorial initiatives of institutions like the Studio Museum in Harlem, can be traced back to the critiques of exclusion and marginalization raised by postmodern and feminist artists
• The global art market and the rise of art fairs and biennials have further complicated the relationship between art, commerce, and institutional power, leading to new forms of critique and resistance by artists and activists

Debates and Criticisms

• Some critics argue that postmodernism's emphasis on relativism and the rejection of universal truths has led to a nihilistic and cynical attitude towards art and culture
• The focus on appropriation and the questioning of originality has been criticized as a form of cultural theft or laziness, lacking in genuine creativity or innovation
• The often complex and theoretical language of postmodern discourse has been accused of being elitist and inaccessible to a broader public, reinforcing the very hierarchies and exclusions it seeks to critique
• The commodification of postmodern art by the art market and the institutionalization of Institutional Critique have been seen as contradictions that undermine the radical potential of these practices
  • The high prices and celebrity status of some postmodern artists, such as Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, have been criticized as a symptom of the art world's complicity with the very systems of power and privilege it claims to challenge
• The emphasis on identity politics and the politics of representation has been criticized by some as a form of essentialism or reductionism, ignoring the complexity and fluidity of individual and collective identities
• The proliferation of images and the blurring of boundaries between art and popular culture have been seen by some as a form of visual overload or cultural amnesia, leading to a loss of critical distance and historical awareness
• The effectiveness and impact of Institutional Critique have been questioned, as many art institutions have adapted to and incorporated these critiques, leading to a form of "institutional absorption" that neutralizes their transformative potential