Andy Warhol, seen in this self-portrait, is considered a postmodern artist.
In the art world, many different terms and categories are used to describe art. Some of the more common terms are "modern" and "postmodern." While "modern art" can describe any art created during the modern age, "postmodernism" is a term that is used more specifically. Postmodernism in art describes a comprehensive philosophy.
Definition
Postmodernism in art emerged in the 1950s. It is sometimes mislabeled as a style of art or an art movement. It is neither of these things. Postmodernism is a philosophy that can be expressed in many different forms, such as painting, sculpture, performance, film or dance. It can be expressed in poetry, industry, literature or a combination of all of these. It is often critical of modern mass culture and strives to dissolve the traditional boundaries of art, including removing the distinction between high art and low art.
Artists
Barbara Kruger, who created silkscreens and photographs that criticized beauty in the media and commentaries on materialism in society, is one well-known postmodern artist. Rene Magritte, creator of the portrait of a man -- actually Rene himself -- wearing a bowler hat with his face obscured by a green apple, is another. Perhaps the most readily recognized postmodernist is Andy Warhol, whose 10 "Marilyns," "Campbell's Soup Can" and "Triple Elvis" have become cultural icons.
Critical Postmodernism
From inside the postmodern movement in the 1980s, a group of artists emerged who sought to depict the dark side of society. While some art is neutral toward its subject, this critical art was decidedly not. Roger Brown created a painting called "Talk Show Addicts" to criticize the modern fascination with television. Others criticized suburban life, advertising and religion. Critical postmodernism recognizes the importance of examining modern life and acting on that ethical examination. It believes that all perspectives are valuable, and a multitude of perspectives does not invalidate the statement.
Styles
Postmodern art does not necessarily follow an established style, and many different styles exist within the philosophy. Some artists express themselves through what is known as "hybrid art." An example of this is an art piece called "The Tell," created by Mark Chamberlain and Jerry Burchfield, with support from hundreds of other artists, which included photography, construction, painting, sculpture and performance art along a 636-foot-long installation. Another style includes appropriation of earlier works. In this style, artists borrow, adopt, recycle or steal from earlier works of art to create a new piece. Marcus Antonius Jansen is known for his image that appropriates from Picasso's "Guernica" to create an image that comments on the plight of black urban America.
