Postmodernism

The social, political and cultural attitudes and images of the late

2Oth / early 21st century

Post -Modernism!!!

Postmodernismand Identity

Living in a global village - we borrow from other cultures - food/music/clothes

Domination of the flow of media imagesBreak up of ‘traditional agencies’ - family,

religion Class/gender roles - Noveaux riche

Post Modernism in Action

Analysis becomes aware that the context of the text and the reader create meaning

Literature- pessimistic narrativesArt – self reflexivityMusic – Generic Hybridisation Visual Culture – the visual becomes

more important Architecture

Post Modernismand Identity

Fragmented identities - Madonna - links with individualisation?

Theory - we are made up of several shifting and fragmented identities

Identity is define by our lifestyle and what we consume rather than what we produce or by our background.

Pastiche & Irony

Cultural production starts to speak a new language

ArchitectureArtMusicFilm

Parody and Pastiche

Parody aims to mock an original in a critical way.

Pastiche is merely a stylistic mask.

Baudrillard and Simulacra

Explains the way in which simulations or copies that are replacing the real artefacts so that increasingly reality becomes redundant

We can longer distinguish between the real and the representation of the real

Irish/Australian pubs. Jerry Springer. American Coffee shops.

Baudrillard and Simulacra

In Postmodernity there is no coding texts reflect other texts rather than

anything realthe world becomes simulated with no

attachment to anything natural (eg: apples not tasting like apple drinks)

The Gulf War didn't occur?

Bricolage and Intertextuality

The way signs or artefacts are borrowed from different styles or genres to create something new.

Pulp Fiction clip - Can you identify the post modern elements?

Baudrillard:Hyper-reality

The media dominate our perception of the outside world - representing a world that is more real than that which we can experience.

Media = hyper-realityReality encountered in

the world is a pale shadow of this.

Your mind loses the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy, and begins to engage with the latter without understanding what it is doing.

Fulfillment or happiness is found through simulation and imitation of a transient simulacrum of reality, rather than any interaction with any "real" reality.

Post Modernism: Key Points or how to spot a Postmodern text! IntertextualitySelf –reflexivityGeneric HybridisationKitsch IronyMix of Low and High ArtNostalgia (for the past)Mass produced is now art!SimulationHyperrealitySemiotics (signification confused)

Semiotics and Culture

We can apply these structural approaches to culture…

Fashion Subcultures Music Advertising Film

Marxism

key to the Semiotic climate of structuralism

sought to understand human culture as a science

Attempt to solve the flaws in society

attempt to understand societal structures (class)

solve the problems of exploitation

Your Task! – Spotting postmodernism

Choose one of the music videos in your class and watch in your group.

Is it postmodern? What postmodern traits does it show?

Present your finding to the rest of the group in a short presentation.

Music Videos to Choose From

Pulp – Babies or Bad Cover VersionThe Chemical Brothers – Let Forever BeBasement Jaxx – RomeoKylie – Come into my WorldMuse – Time is Running outWeezer – Buddy HollyBowling for Soup – Punk Rock 101

Literature

Common nature of Narrative (Narratology)

Grammatical systemsDeath of the Author (Barthes)readers become a key creator

in the textReadily and Writerly texts