Post Modern Art and Diversity

Diversity in Post Modern Art

Background Information

Postmodernism refers to the art produced starting around 1980 to the present day. Postmodern art was a reaction to ideas and values, including idealism and a belief in progress, found in modernist artworks. The art produced in the post-modern era contained complex layers of meaning, took more non-traditional approaches, and drew from the philosophy of the mid to late twentieth century. In particular, diversity proved to be a very common theme in this artistic era. 

Historically, the White male dominated the Western art world, but the post-modern age ushered in artists from various diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. After 1960, women and those part of diverse ethnic backgrounds began to have a larger voice in the Western art world and produced awe-inspiring works of art as a result. The theme of diversity is prominently seen through gender, race, materials, and artistic styles. Throughout this blog post, there will be six postmodernist artworks presented, by a variety of artists, that highlight the great diversity present in the post-modern era.

Virtual Exhibit

Environmental and Installation Art

The first two selections of art to examine are categorized as environmental and installation art. Environmental art promotes an exciting type of diversity because it features art in an untraditional setting. While almost all art previously was featured in a gallery or in an inside location, environmental artists opted into nature to create breathtaking works of art. These pieces aren't created in urban areas, but rather in remote locations where the art is known to be quite transitory. In a similar sense, installation art is not permanent and is created for a specific space.

 Ice Arch by Andy Goldsworthy in 1982

Andy Goldsworthy created very site-specific art forms like this piece titled Ice Arch. It was crafted in Cumbria, England in 1982. As one can see, the diversity of this art form is present in both its outdoor location and utilization of ice as a material. The selection of ice was genius in that its transparent color and nature, allow light to filter through it in a beautiful way. Ideas of transcience and decay are also emphasized through the selection of ice. The distinct arch form is also very impressive and highlights that even though nature might resist standing in a shape like this naturally, it is still attainable even if it is just for a short period of time. Finally, the slick texture of the ice really makes the piece shine when in contact with light. 

The Gates by Christo and Claude in 2005

The Gates found in Central Park, New York City are a type of environmental installation created by Christos and Jean-Claude. Once again, the diverse location is rather prominent and the gates themselves only remained in place for sixteen days. The bright orange color is rather striking to me and really brings a sense of vibrancy and life into New York City. Also, the choice of fabric panels allows for an element of movement which demonstrates a carefree nature when picked up by the wind. Along with movement, the fabric pieces cast warm shadows on the walkway making The Gates resemble that of a golden river for everyone looking from a surrounding building. 

I really enjoy both environmental and installation art forms. The diversity of both location and materials are striking and beautifully designed. Andy Goldsworthy's Ice Arch strove to accomplish the unthinkable and touch on the ideas of both transcience and decay. Christos and Jean-Claude installed a breathtaking display of gates that brought a warm, inviting, and new life to Central Park. Both artists truly encapsulated the post-modern artistic era. Their respective works gave me feelings of pure amazement!

Street Art and Graffiti

Street art and graffiti are two other important prominent post-modern artistic styles. Their locations on pavement, buildings, etc. are what make them seemingly diverse. Artists like Julian Beever and Bansky turned away from the traditional canvas and set their sights on the un-traditional.

Meeting Mr. Frog by Julian Beever (date unknown)

Beever drew this impressive chalk street art in Salamanca, Spain titled Meeting Mr. Frog. While the exact date of creation is unknown, a lot of his works were said to be produced in the mid-1990s. Julian Beever incorporates perspective into all of his works, like this one, by making his images seem 3D on the pavement. This addition adds an elevated level of detail and makes his art seem hyper-realistic. His use of colors and tones contributes to his achievement of the 3D perspective as seen from the more muted green tones of lily pads in the front compared to the more vibrant green ones seen in the distance. Finally, his utilization of dark in the front of the image and light in the back really solidifies the illusion of a real-life pond by adding an element of depth.

Diversity is seen through the artistic style and medium chosen. Sidewalk chalk is such a great choice of medium in that it is very versatile. Street art like this is truly amazing because there is a lot of thinking that goes into it, and it only stays intact for a brief period of time. Just as seen in the environmental and installation art forms, street art forms are very transitory and temporary.

Girl with Balloon by Banksy started in 2002

Now that we have looked at street art, graffiti can be seen from the artist Banksy who created a series of stencil murals all over London, England starting in 2002. His diverse locations on various bridges and buildings were created in support of a variety of social campaigns. The Girl with Balloon brings about feelings of longing as seen from the detailed emotions present on her face. The furrowed brow and arm extension further emphasize that feeling. Incorporating the color red not only adds a pop of color but draws the viewer's attention to a symbol of hope that is worth reaching for. There is also an element of movement as seen in the little girl's hair and how the balloon string is waving in the air. 

Street art and graffiti were very interesting to further examine. The diversity of utilizing pavement as a canvas in street art was awe-inspiring and stenciling murals, as graffiti, in urban areas was very moving. I liked Beever's street art because it brought about feelings of joy and wonder to everyone that took the time to take it all in. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed Banksy's Girl with Balloon because it shared complex meanings like loss of innocence and reaching for the hope which adheres to the post-modern era. 

Sculptures

The final art forms of the post-modern era to examine are sculptures. They are creations that individuals from various walks of life can enjoy in their own respective ways. While most sculptures pay tribute to things like historical figures or notable wars, this information is not necessarily needed for someone to appreciate them. The Black Ghost by Svajunas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas and Mustangs of Las Colinas by Robert Glen were two post-modern sculptures that stuck out to me in a prominent way. 

The Black Ghost by Svajunas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas in 2010

Svajunas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas installed The Black Ghost in 2010 in a Lithuanian port city. While many find this sculpture to be terrifying, it actually is rich in the town's history because it retells a story of a local legend Hans von Heidi in 1595 who was a guard of the Klaipeda Castle. The absence of a human form under the cloak pays tribute to the local legend of a ghost appearing at the given port and creates a ghost-like appearance, despite the lack of a figure. The detail on the hands makes the figure seem almost like a skeleton and the folding of the cloak makes it seem waterlogged as the figure emerges out of the water. Utilizing bronze also adds a darker tone to the mysterious figure and causes the space under the cloak to appear pitch black. 

It is not every day you lay your eyes on a mysterious figure when walking across a port. The placement of this piece really makes it diverse. The local history and legend also add to the diversity because it might be seen as untraditional in other places around the globe. 

Mustangs of Las Colinas by Robert Glen in 1984

The final piece to explore is titled Mustangs of Las Colinas by Robert Glen it was made in 1984 and displayed in Irving, Texas. Glen was an African wildlife artist who was commissioned by Ben Carpenter, a Dallas Businessman, to represent a part of Texas' rich history. He built nine wild mustangs seen to be running across a stream in the middle of a plaza. The fountains placed beneath the horse's hooves are supposed to signify the movement of running. Their sheer size of 1.5 times life size is another notable element that makes the sculpture even more distinctive. Every mustang has a different emotion present on its face which can be seen by the implemented subtle line use and positioning of the head. Glen did a wonderful job of making the mustang forms both unique and hyper-realistic.

Sculptures were interesting to examine because they all hold a small piece of historical significance. The local legend of The Black Ghost was awesome to learn about and I found the representation to be very creative. Glen's sculptures of the nine mustangs were also very appealing to further explore. I found it to be very innovative to add the fountains of water below the animals' feet to create an illusion of running. In terms of diversity, there was a diverse amount of subject matter, locations, and displays. 

Conclusion

It is readily apparent that diversity is heavily displayed throughout the post-modern era. As already seen, there is an abundance of artistic styles including, environmental art, installation art, street art, graffiti, and sculptures. Along with diverse artistic styles, there was diverse material use like ice, chalk, bronze, fabric panels, and much more. Every artist also came from different areas and cultures around the world and their own flair was incorporated into their works respectively. Post-modern art is inspiring to look at because it holds deeper meanings and is presented in unconventional fashions. 

Sources

“Andy Goldsworthy - Land Art.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Jan. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPDH8yCnlk0. Accessed 17 Apr. 2023.

Beever, Julian. “Pavement Art - 3D Illusions.” Julian Beever - Official Website, 10 Jan. 2023, https://www.julianbeever.net/pavement-art-3d-illusions/.

“Christo and Jeanne-Claude.” The Gates, https://christojeanneclaude.net/artworks/the-gates/.

Irving Archives & Museum, https://www.irvingarchivesandmuseum.com/mustangs-of-las-colinas.

“The Story Behind Banksy.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Feb. 2013, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind-banksy-4310304/.