An analysis of critical theory in postmodern art socio-political discourse

However there are differences between postmodernism and critical theories in their origins, they seek common areas in society criticism. The critical theory is a social theory provided in order to criticize and transform society against the suppression and oppression situations. In addition, the critical theory is used to indicate the power relations in cultural framework which attempts to reach a self-criticism: addressing such self-criticism requires polyphony, and indicated the self-structure. On the one hand, the postmodernism criticizes the modernity in all aspects. The outcome of this shared viewpoint is critically formed in postmodern committed art which is reflected in art with sociopolitical theme and entails marginalized areas such as feminists and black arts. The postmodern critical attitude toward modernity as well as critical theory in society criticism provides a flow of consciousness to revise the social state which is reflected in art. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to study and compare social criticism aspect of critical theories in Frankfort School with the socio-political subcultures art after 1960s which is formed in postmodern discourse and both are addressed in line with social consciousness. Therefore, adapting the postmodern art critical procedure to the critical theory, it is assumed that critical art seeks the social justice by making social awareness for education which is investigated by contemporary art discourse studying. The social criticisms of social justice which follow the philosopher and scholars’ idea witnessed the dislocation in orientation of theories toward artists based on the displacements of paradigms in early 2000; that is, art attitudes and thought patterns which are particularly addressed in opposite manner with power and authorization system varied from the 2-D imaginative arts space of conceptual and installation arts. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the art recognition as a part of social effectiveness and awareness. The basis of critical analysis on art works in sociopolitical dimensions is the critical theory. This research introduces critical arts in socio-political arena as the main reason for change of social awareness in postmodern age by providing an analysis on this theory. The results can be explained based on art examples analyses in social area using the sociopolitical expressions as: the critical art is the reflection of critical theory in sociopolitical attitude and political art area following which yields the art social and contradictory expression with postmodern characteristics among which the opposite voice via awareness for social justice by deconstructing the power structure in postmodern discourse can be fully mentioned. In addition this process has been changed to social manifests in contrast to political hegemonic systems and power criticism by socio-political positions as a critical form and art in executive forms. Therefore, postmodern art is a set of social actions among the network systems which form awareness on society and subsystems and are completely comparable to the critical theories based on which the art ideas and though patterns as particular oppositions to power and authorization system in this discourse are formed.