Postmodernism

Many theorists argue that we are part of a post modern age, shown across all of our cultural activity including fashion, the media and architecture.

The 'modern' period lasted 50-60 years. The texts produced in this time were defined as part of 'high culture' and were aimed at small and mainly middle-class audiences, which included academics and critics, and so these texts had effect on other artists.
This was in contrast to more 'popular' works of the time.
'Popular' can be defined as:
-well liked by many people
-inferior kinds of work
-work deliberately setting out to win favour with the people
-culture actually made by the people themselves. (Williams 1983)

Modernists saw themselves as part of the avant-garde, developing new media forms, much modernist work is still difficult for contemporary audiences, aspects of modernist style has been slowly absorbed into the mainstream of media production.

Postmodernism is not considered a movement as such, instead it is said to be a condition in which creatives feel free to take inspiration from earlier movements to mix and match.
Postmodernism's effect on culture is said to have made our reality dominated by popular culture. So that now, art and popular culture does not reflect reality as it is so full of advertising, film, video games and TV.
"Advertising no longer tries seriously to convince us of it's products real quality but, for example, just show us an amazing special effects whiz" (Branston and Stafford 1996 pg 180)

Because of this, distinction between 'high art/culture' and popular culture have gone or become blurred. For instance, with Andy Warhol's multi prints of Leonardo's Mona Lisa.
There is a feeling that there are no longer distinctions between the 'high' and the 'popular'.


Branston and Stafford (1996) The Media Student's Book, Routledge International Thomson Publishing Company

Williamson, R (1983) Keywords, Fontana Publishing