An Introduction to Postmodernism & its Manifestation in Visual Arts

Many scholars and critics agree that it is very difficult to express and define postmodernism, due to the existence of a patchwork of different views and opinions. This study aims to identify the origin of postmodernism and its manifestation in the visual arts.  Universally known as a form of cultural authority, postmodernism is beyond style or artistic movement. It is a hybrid and contradictory art on one hand, and opposes modernism on the other. It has the word behind it. But while anti-modernism exist???, postmodernism can get rid of the deadlock on the choice and move forward  .Perhaps postmodernism is a type of evolutionary modernism. Or it is a need of human societies today while modernism has lost its function at this point of time. Postmodernism is modern in nature, since, like modernism itself, which has already protested against the tradition before itself, it objects to modernism. The early stages of theoretical and controversial discussions on visual arts in the 1960s and 1970s were called "postmodernity." During this period, thinkers and theorists, after many academic debates, were able to convince many that modernism was captured by its hard laws and needed help to get rid of this situation.  The peak of postmodern art, especially in the field of visual arts in the 1980s, created a major transformation that continues to grow. Its origins are especially rooted in the theoretical and philosophical ambient of France and then other European countries such as Germany, England and Italy.Various events in the political, social, cultural and artistic fields contributed to the creation of postmodernism. In fact, postmodernism is a response to the degeneration and exhaustion of transcendental modernism. Even the late modernism could not save it from the abyss of extinction. Postmodernism is highly skeptical, eclectic, and complex. It can be called transparent trans-modernism or transcendental modernism.  The opposition of the advocates of modernism with postmodernism seems to be unnecessary, because as we deal with many styles, movements and vocabulary throughout history, postmodernism can be considered a historical and commonplace term that addresses various issues and aspects, accepted in today society, domination and authority.  The nullity of modernism in concept and content of its dry and principled frameworks on form, style and manner of presentation, as well as excessive emphasis on elitism, was the result of the distortion of art in the society. Therefore, naturally the artists returned to the portrayal of the human figure and the expression of the content. The figurative art was born in response to abstraction and brought about the reunion of art and society. Perhaps, if the modernist theorists and artists had not acted radically, postmodernism would have never arisen. Postmodernism emerged to prevent the radicalization of modernism and thus, shouldn’t suffer the same problem. That sort of postmodernism that seeks to overcome the problems and deficiencies of modernism, is considered positive and worthwhile, and can help its growth, especially in art. But extreme postmodernism, which even tries to ignore the principles of aesthetics as an integral part of art, is considered to be negative and needs to be reformed. In the event of the continuity of extremism and the failure to observe the basic principles and aesthetics, postmodernists will suffer the same problem of the modernists and will inevitably face post-post-modernism. Postmodernism has become a universal cultural world of shadow, desperation, or unwillingness. We are now living in a postmodern world. From the point of view of art history, modern art in Europe and the United States is merely a formidational evolution of the pop, minimalist and conceptual art and is in fact a new and growing blend of artistic styles previously introduced. In fact, modern and contemporary art of the West should be the heritage of the carnal culture of pop art, the method of presentation and materials used in minimalist art, and, finally, the aesthetic dimensions and the discovery of the artistic background in objects, which emerged in conceptual art. Postmodernism in visual arts, in addition to the use various modernist and classical styles, also makes use of other medias, such as photography, sculpture, theater, video and computer. It is highly eclectic, and in addition to the aforementioned mediums, it technically utilizes a variety of materials and sometimes antagonisms in the presentation of the work. One of the features and solutions of postmodernism in art, especially the visual arts, is appropriation, discourse, spatial characteristics, accumulation, durability, instability and bonding. In this article, the terminology, historical background, origin, theoretical discussion of this term have been addressed e through employing historical and descriptive methods.