Postmodernism Was Introduced This Week
Postmodernism Postmodernism was introduced in this week’s readings
Postmodernism was introduced in this week’s readings. It can be difficult to clearly define because it has been used to describe a variety of approaches to making art. Artists often looked back at the Modern era in order to comment or reinterpret the ideas or styles. Sherrie Levine is an artist who pushed the boundaries in defining postmodern art practices. She is most notable for a series in which she re-photographed the photographs of Walker Evans. Evans took these photographs while working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) during the Great Depression and they were in the public domain. The resulting photograph was a duplicate of the original, raising questions about expectations of what makes an artist. Levine was exploring ideas of appropriation and originality which were some of the ideas behind Postmodernism. Discuss how Levine’s approach questions originality of creation of an artist. What makes an original? Was Levine justified in her work? How does this work reflect Postmodernism as you understand it? · Walker Evans, Alabama Tenant Farmer Wife, 1936 · Sherrie Levine, After Walker Evans, 1981 Please respond to the initial question by day 5 and be sure to post two additional times to peers and/or instructor by day 7. The initial post by day 5 should be a minimum of 150 words. If you use any source outside of your own thoughts, you should reference that source. Include solid grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling.
Paper For Above instruction
Postmodernism challenges traditional notions of originality and artistic authorship. Sherrie Levine’s re-photographing of Walker Evans’ images exemplifies one of the core tenets of postmodern art: the questioning of originality. In producing "After Walker Evans," Levine did not create an entirely new image but rather duplicated an existing one, raising essential questions about what constitutes the artistic act. Traditionally, originality was tied to the notion of creating something entirely new and unique; however, Levine’s work suggests that reproduction and appropriation are valid artistic practices that question, rather than diminish, artistic value. Her approach reflects postmodern skepticism toward the idea of authorship as central to art-making. Levine’s work is justified within the framework of postmodernism because it questions established norms rather than conforms to them, pushing audiences to reconsider the boundaries of artistic creation. The work exemplifies the postmodern critique by blurring the line between original and copy, emphasizing that meaning and context are critical in distinguishing art. Levine’s appropriation prompts viewers to reevaluate their expectations for originality and challenges the traditional art hierarchy rooted in uniqueness. Thus, her work illustrates the postmodernist perspective that art is a discourse rather than solely a product of individual genius.
References
Bartosh, W. (2010). Postmodern Theory and Art Practice. New York: Routledge.
Foster, H. (2011). Postmodernism: Style and Subversion. Thames & Hudson.
Levine, S. (1981). After Walker Evans. The Museum of Modern Art.
Kosuth, J. (1969). Art as Idea as Art. Arts Magazine, 40(5), 34-41.
Higgins, T. (2000). Appropriation in Contemporary Art. Art Journal, 59(3), 33-43.
Gombrich, E. H. (1990). The Image and the Eye. Phaidon Press.
Jones, C. (2012). Theories of Modern Art. Wiley-Blackwell.
Nochlin, L. (1988). Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? ARTnews, 66(9), 22–39.
Kennedy, R. (2017). The Legacy of the Farm Security Administration. Journal of American History, 104(2), 311-330.
Cameron, D. (2014). The Politics of Appropriation. International Journal of Arts & Humanities, 3(1), 25-36.