I'd also say Modernism (post or otherwise) is a negative. I've learned to disregard what's generally written about it. I now look at most art made today as pure form – design – and by doing so it's a lot easier to deal with. The new openly hostile sexual and racial diversity stuff is alien, and I reject it out of hand.
Please forgive my butting in here but you are one of the very few people capable of writing about art/culture intelligently. I like the way you tie the material into an historical context. I tend to write comments when I disagree with something I'm concerned with. Might be irritating. If so, I'm very sorry.
Nice essay. I always thought the term "post-modernism" was just a way to "make it new" without actually doing anything new. Maybe I'm wrong but I can't tell the difference between Marcel Duchamp's R Mutt and Damien Hirst spot paintings, or Jeff Koons. The only new development I see is the push for diversity, i.e., where the revulsion for classical European culture morphed into a hatred for normal European people.
[By my definition, Modernism was/is based on Marx, Darwin and Freud and a loathing for classical Western culture. They were going to plumb the depths of the human psyche rather than perform "mere" illustration. and story-telling. They succeeded because they attracted sponsors (rich people) who for a number of reasons liked or were attracted to emptiness and irony.]
I'd also say Modernism (post or otherwise) is a negative. I've learned to disregard what's generally written about it. I now look at most art made today as pure form – design – and by doing so it's a lot easier to deal with. The new openly hostile sexual and racial diversity stuff is alien, and I reject it out of hand.
Please forgive my butting in here but you are one of the very few people capable of writing about art/culture intelligently. I like the way you tie the material into an historical context. I tend to write comments when I disagree with something I'm concerned with. Might be irritating. If so, I'm very sorry.
Nice essay. I always thought the term "post-modernism" was just a way to "make it new" without actually doing anything new. Maybe I'm wrong but I can't tell the difference between Marcel Duchamp's R Mutt and Damien Hirst spot paintings, or Jeff Koons. The only new development I see is the push for diversity, i.e., where the revulsion for classical European culture morphed into a hatred for normal European people.
[By my definition, Modernism was/is based on Marx, Darwin and Freud and a loathing for classical Western culture. They were going to plumb the depths of the human psyche rather than perform "mere" illustration. and story-telling. They succeeded because they attracted sponsors (rich people) who for a number of reasons liked or were attracted to emptiness and irony.]