V4 - Literature lesson 4: Postmodernism

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Lecture on Postmodernism

Spanish Modernista       Art noveau             Jugendstil

Spanish Modernista versus Modernism

Modernism

Modernism is a philosophical, religious, and art movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, and social organization which reflected the newly emerging industrial world, including features such as urbanization, architecture, new technologies, and war.

Modernist innovations included abstract art, the stream of consciousness novel, montage cinema, atonal and twelve-tone music, divisionist painting and modern architecture. Modernism explicitly rejected the ideology of realism.

Modernism

William Butler Yeats:    "Things fall apart;the centre cannot hold."

Modernism, with its sense that 'things fall apart,' can be seen as the apotheosis of romanticism, if romanticism is the (often frustrated) quest for metaphysical truths about character, nature, God and meaning in the world.Modernism often yearns for a romantic or metaphysical centre, but finds only its collapse.

Modernism versus Postmoderism

Modernism began in the 1890s and lasted till about 1945. Postmodernism began after the Second World War, especially after 1968. 

The fundamental difference between modernism and postmodernism is that modernist thinking is about the search of an abstract truth of life while postmodernist thinkers believe that there is no universal truth, abstract or otherwise.

A reaction to a reaction?

• Postmodernism is a reaction to the stylistic and ideological limitations of Modernist literature and the radical changes the world underwent after the end of World War II.
• About depicting the world as having already undergone countless disasters and being beyond redemption or understanding. 
• Awareness of the possibility of utter disaster and apocalypse on the horizon. 
• The notion of locating meanings and reasons behind any event
  became seen as impossible.
• Everything has already been done once before.
• Seen in a mixture of genres and art forms from literature to art to film.

Style and technique

• Pastiche: The taking of various ideas from previous writings and literary styles and pasting them together to make new styles.

• Parody: Mimicking the style of another work, artist, or genre in an exaggerated way, usually for comic effect

• Intertextuality: The acknowledgment of previous literary works within another literary work.

• Metafiction: The act of writing about writing or making readers aware of the fictional nature of the very fiction they're reading.

• Temporal Distortion: The use of non-linear timelines and narrative techniques in a story.

• Minimalism: The use of characters and events which are decidedly common and non-exceptional characters.

• Maximalism: Disorganized, lengthy, highly detailed writing.

• Magical Realism: The introduction of impossible or unrealistic events into a narrative that is otherwise realistic.

• Faction: The mixing of actual historical events with fictional events without clearly defining what is factual and what is fictional.

Pastiche

A pastiche is any work of art that imitates the style of another artist or artists. Pastiches are not meant to ridicule the original style in the way that a parody does; instead, a pastiche respects the original style and often pays some homage to it. 

So pastiche art uses the distinct imagery or style of another artwork, while still infusing the artist’s own style. This allows artists to celebrate the great artists in art history, whether they’re paying homage to them or making a sociopolitical statement. 

Parody

A parody is an imitation of a writer, artist, subject, or genre in such a way as to make fun of or comment on the original work. Parodies are often exaggerated in the way they imitate the original in order to produce a humorous effect. While parodies are generally intended to amuse, they are not always comedic in nature and sometimes take on fairly serious subject matters. Parodies, whether in literature, art, music, or other forms, find something to ridicule within the original, whether lightly or harshly.

Pastiche examples:

Italian pasticcio = mixture

Pastiche in architecture

Parody example

“Weird Al” Yankovic is a musician who has made a career creating parodies of popular songs by changing the lyrics to humorous ones. Here is an example of lyrics by Pharrell for his song “Happy” followed by the parody lyrics by Weird Al in his song “Tacky”:

 

It might seem crazy what I am 'bout to say

Sunshine she's here, you can take a break

I'm a hot air balloon that could go to space

With the air, like I don't care, baby by the way

–Pharrell

It might seem crazy, wearing stripes and plaid

I Instagram every meal I've had

All my used liquor bottles are on display

We can go to see a show but I'll make you pay

–Weird Al

Parody also called send-up or spoof), in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation.

This is a good example of pastiche because it has all of the same elements as the original. This is pastiche only, not parody. The reworking was done with legos, which adds a hint of humor to it. However, it is not mocking the Mona Lisa by any means. Had the lego been making a funny face, that could be considered parody.

What about this?

Assignment: Postmodernism

We’ll focus on pastiche and parody:              Choose a theme:

- Technology                                                             - Nature

- AI                                                                                 - Environment

- Oppression                                                             - (stigma) Mental health

- War                                                                              - Art

- Love                                                                            - Moderism

- Family life                                                                 - Architecture

- Social Media                                                           - Millennials/Generation X

- Influencers / famous people                          - Education/school system

Assignment: Teamwork

1. Introduce yourself to your team and name one talent of yours that is important when working in a team.

2. Can you divide roles? Like: who will take notes? Who will chair the meeting? Who will organise things? Who will make a video or digital materials? Who can be the spokesman for the team? Who is the creative one?

3. Can you come up with team rules? Like: how will your team make decisions? What will you do when team members don’t do their jobs?

4. First task: Order your team’s preferences: From the 18 themes: which theme do you like best? Which least? Make a top 5 (order of preference). You can add one theme that isn’t in the list but has your interest.

5. Hand in: 1) the divisions of roles; 2) the team rules and 3) list of preference order.

Assignment: End result

On Friday your team must give a presentation about:

- introduce the original work of art or building

- show and explain your pastiche

- show and explain your parody

- What is the theme/message you wanted to convey?

- A video of the making of your work

- Close off with a bang (surprise us, be creative)

- a video of one minute about the making of your works of art

 

- incorporate your Amsterdam ánd Fundatie visit

- incorporate Dutch and Spanish influences

- Be original and creative

Teams:

Irene & Lene                                             Ona Blanco & Lisanne                                Marta D & Loïs S

Karla V & Linde                                        Tomas & Noortje                                           Augustina & Silke

Mariona & Maria                                     Carla G &  Nikkie                                           Mikaela & Sanne

Marta R & Loïs vd M                               Eric & Derek                                                   Lucia & Frederique

Andrés & Naomi                                       Valeria & Riëtte                                           Bernat & Bart

Biel & Figo                                                   Oscar & Iris                                                   Esteban & Maureen

                                     Marina & Robyn

                                     Jofre & Nynke

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