Postmodern Art of the Sixties and Seventies

Postmodern Art of the Sixties and Seventies

Before the 19th century, most artists made artwork that depicted scenes

related to religion or mythology. Due to the popularization of the idea of the

subconscious mind, many artists began exploring dreams, symbolism, and

personal iconography as avenues for the depiction of their subjective experiences.

The notion that art should depict the world realistically was challenged as several

artists experimented with expressive use of color, nontraditional materials,

and new kinds of mediums and techniques for creating art. This went on to be

classified as modern art in which traditionally accepted forms of art were rejected

for an emphasis on individual expression.

Postmodern art is an art style which sought to contradict as well as share

certain aspects of modern art. In it, past styles and themes are used in a modern

day context and fine and high arts coexist with low arts and popular culture.

Conceptual art is a type of postmodern art where the concepts and ideas

that go into making an art piece are deemed more important than the actual

visual effect the art has. This is the art style of the piece of artwork that inspired

me: Ground Hog Day which was done in 1976 by Fred Spratt. It consisted of five

panels altering in shades of gray and brown with color variation in each of the

panels due to the use of various values. By using darker tones more often than

lighter tones, it can be inferred that the artist means to say that there will be

more winter ahead, as is found out on Groundhog Day. The artist uses something

simple to relay a bigger picture which is what I am attempting to do. In my

artwork I am depicting human nature as something that is essentially bad but has

the potential for becoming