Post Modern Contemporary Virtual Exhibit: Deconstruction

A major aim of the Post Modernist movement was, and still is, to break down preconceived notions of what art is an isn’t, and to tear down barriers. A major barrier that the Post Modernist movement broke was the barrier between “high” and “low” art, stomping the notion into the ground repeatedly, refusing to let something they as artists felt were untrue and limiting to keep them from making the art they wanted and the statements they wanted (and needed) to make.

Photograph of Bits & Pieces Put Together to Present a Semblance of a Whole, by Lawrence Weiner, laser-cut aluminum typography on brick. Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2005.

This piece by Lawrence Weiner falls in the category of Conceptual Art, an art form actively challenging what makes art “art.”
It’s simple, aluminum on a brick wall of a building, but the words convey something deep and thought-provoking. Weiner is “a sculptor whose medium is language. His texts describe material processes and physical conditions; they delineate space and indicate location” (1).

Untitled by Barbara Kruger. 1985.

I like this piece in particular because it’s conveying an important message not just with pictures, but with words on the pictures itself. Not only that, but this piece is nine different pictures displayed and made to be one big piece of art. The words on the pictures help make the whole piece come together and makes sense of what the message was supposed to be conveyed.
Another Conceptual Artist, Barbara Kruger’s art often depicted “addressing cultural constructions of power, identity, and sexuality” (2).

The Blue Ghost by Samizu Matsuki. 1976.

Japanese artist Samizu Matsuki’s “significance was in her returning the techniques of Western Classical Realism painting, as refined by Japanese art schools since the 19th century, back to the West. In the early 1970s she created a series of award winning works before a spinal injury and later, Lyme Disease” (3).
This piece is an example of Classical Realism, a movement in the late 20th century to bring back art styles that focus on skills, talent, and beauty. Even though this work references an old art style from the 19th century, I feel that this fits the deconstruction theme I’m going for. I feel that this piece shows that things that are considered old and traditional aren’t always bad, if bad at all. While traditional things and thinking may not work for the world we live in now, there’s not reason to throw away our traditions completely.

Untitled by Minoru Ohira. 2007.

This piece is interesting in that it was not made of the traditional media with we are familiar. This piece was made out of coffee, black powder, and pencil on Japanese paper. The artist, Minoru Ohira, is known for his sculptures being made out of things he can find like wood, slate, and graphite. He also makes things using resin, and mixes the materials together to make interesting sculptures (4). When he makes paintings or drawings, they are often made using Japanese paper in interesting ways:

Moon in Water by MInoru Ohira. 2009.

This piece, also by Ohira, was made by layering Japanese Paper, powdered paint, graphite, and silver leaf (5).
I find that these pieces by Ohira follow my theme of deconstruction because who would have thought to use coffee to create a piece of art? Mixed media can include anything the artist can think to use.

Young Baggage by John Chamberlain. 2005.

“John Chamberlain was an American sculptor who trained in Chicago. After initially working with iron pipes, Chamberlain started to explore the possibilities of twisted metal sheets” (6). He has made many sculptures out of cart parts, buying cars from closing collections or museums to contribute to this works.
Before Post Modernism, what constituted as a sculpture usually meant using bronze, marble, stone, or some other kind of alloy and it was usually in the form of a human, deity, or an animal. This kind of sculpture by Chamberlain completely changed what it meant to make a sculpture.

Many Post Modern artist utilize various media to create their art, something not really done in the art movements before Post Modernism. There seemed to be the thought that if it’s not paints on canvas or pen/pencil on paper, how could it possibly be art? These Post Modernist artist have proven over and over that art isn’t always what one thinks it to be.

1. Spector, Nancy. “Lawrence Weiner NACH ALLES / AFTER ALL.” Guggenheim. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artwork/11207>.

2. “Barbara Kruger (American, Born 1945).” MoMA. Oxford University Press, 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O:AD:E:3266&page_number=1&template_id=6&sort_order=1&displayall=1#skipToContent>.

3. “About Samizu Matsuki.” Samizu. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.samizu.com/samizu_about.html>.

4. “Gallery.” MINORU OHIRA. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.minoruohira.com/gallery.htm>.

5. Calvin-Morris Gallery. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.cavinmorris.com/minoru-ohira/>.

6. Hufkens, Xavier. “John Chamberlain.” Calvin-Morris Gallery. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.xavierhufkens.com/artists/john-chamberlain>.