Is postmodernism a historical era or just a shifting language?
In short: We often treat postmodernism as a distinct chapter in art history, like the Renaissance or the Industrial Revolution. But what if it isn't a period at all? Exploring this question reveals whether contemporary art is a trackless wilderness of voices or a structured family of patterns.
In his lecture series 'Concepts and Problems in the Visual Arts,' James Elkins challenges students to look beyond surface-level definitions. One of the central inquiries he poses is whether postmodernism actually constitutes a specific period in time. While many art historians categorize it as a chronological movement following modernism, this perspective can obscure the underlying mechanics of how we talk about and understand contemporary practice.
The difficulty lies in the sheer plurality of current art. It has often been argued that contemporary art is so diverse that finding a common vocabulary—or even defining what counts as pertinent theory—is effectively impossible. This lack of a unified narrative can make it seem like a 'trackless domain' where different voices exist without any shared ground or historical continuity.
However, Elkins suggests a more nuanced view through the process of curating these concepts. By mapping out over 70 distinct topics, he argues that contemporary art is actually a language, or perhaps a language family. It possesses specific patterns and affinities rather than being a chaotic mess. Recognizing these structures allows students to see how different ideas—like the sublime, religion, politics, and skill—interrelate across centuries.
Ultimately, understanding postmodernism requires looking at the conditions of art education itself. This includes recognizing how nationalist perspectives shape history books, how masterpieces were valued (or ignored), and where specific studio exercises originate. By deconstructing these elements, we move from seeing 'postmodern' as a mere date on a calendar to understanding it as a complex web of inherited traces and evolving meanings.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Concepts and Problems in the Visual Arts, Lecture H12: Is postmodernism a period?
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