That’s interesting; I would have never connected all the dots…but now you’ve done it for me and I can see that it wasn’t such a far leap. Also I’ve never heard of most of those gross out “artworks” you mentioned; so perhaps that’s why the severed head was so shocking to me when I first saw it.
I’m glad it helped you connect the dots. Sorry for it being disturbing (honestly). The negative is the entire postmodern movement is an enemy of humanity, and it was/is promoted by the CIA. The positive is we evolve to get past them and create deeper and more meaningful alternatives.
“The positive is we evolve to get past them and create deeper and more meaningful alternatives.” Yes! I completely agree. And a reminder, such as this one, of what we left behind is always a good thing. 💫
This quote reminds me about a story I heard about Lenin in a biography I read about him. Lenin used to berate and bludgeon his opponents with words so viciously they would often leave the assembly they were in, but they would leave before casting a vote. This happened again and again. And when it happened, it often left Lenin with a much stronger position than if they had absorbed his attack and voted against him. Lenin held a minority position untill the Bolshevik revolution succeeded. He won a bunch of political victories, though, by bullying his way in and forcing his opponents out. If they had stayed and played the long game instead of getting sucked into the short, it is very, very likely there never would have been a Soviet State.
I've been thinking a lot about this analogy as it keeps coming up in different arenas. I don't think the postmoderns in the art world had the strategy of hammering their audience over the head, like Lenin did, with ugliness so anyone who disagreed with them would leave the art world. That being said, I do know the art world, like Hollywood, like politics, like all of the institutions in America today, doesn't tolerate ideological dissenters, either.
The point is, the infrastructure of the arts, principally of distribution of the arts, has been abandoned solely to the postmodernists and that leaves everyone with artistic sensibilities who disagrees with the postmodern ethos, out in the cold.
To your point, being left nowhere, two things need to happen simultaneously, and I've already seen the buds of this renewal, so I believe a new spring is on the way. The two things that need to happen are: 1. Artists need to keep creating in the face of poverty and obsoletism. 2. More importantly, in some ways, and I hate saying this, but it's true, a rich patron, or a few rich patrons of the arts, together, need to buy out a place like The Met or whatever studio has famous showings, either that or they need to just create their own. And then patronize actual talented artists.
This has happened in comedy with Rogan starting his comedy club. This has happened in writing with Substack and a few indie publishers. This is starting to happen in the movies with Angel studios and even the Daily Wire a little bit. And now it's time for it to happen to the art world.
Once these little buds start to open and flourish, once the public turns away from what had been the mainstream for so long, and finds a little bit of alternative art flourishing, then I think you'll start to see a real Renaissance of thinking and of true art, again.
You could have artists paid for creating beautiful and thoughtful works, which in turn would motivate some people with a creative bent to follow their dreams, which they never thought they could. Once it got rolling you could even start having feeder schools of art with the successful older artists passing the torch to the new, younger artists. Like you have now but in various schools of thought, rather than just the One, the “master” thought of Postmodernism.
Just like Musk bought out Twitter and let reasonable people back to join in the public debate, (like the current political frontrunner) someone like Musk needs to buy out the Met, or wherever. Or start a new one. And not exclude the postmoderns, but turn art back into a meritocracy, instead of an ideologically based system that excludes anyone who doesn't prescribe to it and all of its insanity.
The way is, through our own imaginations and our own dreams and desires, through our own original consciousness to create the art that is within us. To create the beauty that is original to each of us. To stop being slaves to the system that wishes to control all. Our achievements should never have been subjected to Institutions!
Everything politics touches it destroys. Art became a political expression, an expression of hate and rejection, an expression of narcissism and nihilism. Art became a rebellion to everything good and decent. Art became anti-art.
Michael, I got curious and googled postmodernism, just to see what would pop up. Well Ayn Rand wasn’t mentioned and of course neither were you. Of course the first info to appear was from Reddit questions and answers. 🙈Google isn't what it used to be…So you’re going to love this answer (being facetious here). Here is part of it:
“ Most of the time, this is an expression of anti-intellectualism that cites a few French philosophers to paint a portrait of a vast intellectual movement that is the root of whatever the author thinks is wrong with contemporary society, from college student activists to gender studies to whatever else. While this is a frequent target in conservative circles, it's also present, though likely to a less degree, in centrist, liberal and Marxist circles.”
I don’t know whether to laugh, smirk, or scream. I will do all three! 🤣😏😱
It’s been a long time since I read Rand’s books. I was obsessed with her in my early 20s, and wish she had written more. But, her contributions through her writing, was focused with profound understanding. She packed a lot in her work.
I looked up all the pieces of postmodern art you mentioned in the beginning of the piece. Disturbing puts it lightly. Especially the self portrait of blood and piss christ. How was the latter an award winning piece?
That is a good question, and one that should be asked of every postmodern exhibition. I think once someone sells their soul, unapologetically engages in hatred of the good, or finds their efforts lead to destruction find solace in postmodern art. Postmodern art gives them confirmation that everything in the world is evil including themselves so they can think "I am not so bad." And then others that know that by promoting PM art you kill any momentum for real artists.
We might be tempted to call this grotesque art but that would be incorrect. Grotesque is useful when the artist has a meaning aside from their individual idea of wrong and right. Of course postmodernism rejects the absolute and attempts to establish the relative as the absolute and in the process devolves to a blathering idiocy. Kudos to Flannery O’Connor for this sentiment
I have always felt that a large percentage of postmodern art is essentially a troll on the art world. The ones 'in the know' are aware of this and they get their kicks watching everyone else trying to figure it out. It is also a blatant rejection of beauty and romanticism, anything that uplifts the human spirit must be relegated to the dustbin like an out of fashion coat. They want a gallery of ugliness to reflect the most base aspects of humanity and they'll throw in a buttload of conceptual obfuscation to befuddle those that would try to derive any meaning.
Not a bad way to launder millions of dollars in dirty money though 🤣
they love this attention... I'd say vomit, but they would like that too. they would use it as paint.
You’re right.
That’s interesting; I would have never connected all the dots…but now you’ve done it for me and I can see that it wasn’t such a far leap. Also I’ve never heard of most of those gross out “artworks” you mentioned; so perhaps that’s why the severed head was so shocking to me when I first saw it.
I’m glad it helped you connect the dots. Sorry for it being disturbing (honestly). The negative is the entire postmodern movement is an enemy of humanity, and it was/is promoted by the CIA. The positive is we evolve to get past them and create deeper and more meaningful alternatives.
Enemy of humanity; that sums it up. I feel that longing myself for something more meaningful, something beautiful.
“The positive is we evolve to get past them and create deeper and more meaningful alternatives.” Yes! I completely agree. And a reminder, such as this one, of what we left behind is always a good thing. 💫
This quote reminds me about a story I heard about Lenin in a biography I read about him. Lenin used to berate and bludgeon his opponents with words so viciously they would often leave the assembly they were in, but they would leave before casting a vote. This happened again and again. And when it happened, it often left Lenin with a much stronger position than if they had absorbed his attack and voted against him. Lenin held a minority position untill the Bolshevik revolution succeeded. He won a bunch of political victories, though, by bullying his way in and forcing his opponents out. If they had stayed and played the long game instead of getting sucked into the short, it is very, very likely there never would have been a Soviet State.
I've been thinking a lot about this analogy as it keeps coming up in different arenas. I don't think the postmoderns in the art world had the strategy of hammering their audience over the head, like Lenin did, with ugliness so anyone who disagreed with them would leave the art world. That being said, I do know the art world, like Hollywood, like politics, like all of the institutions in America today, doesn't tolerate ideological dissenters, either.
The point is, the infrastructure of the arts, principally of distribution of the arts, has been abandoned solely to the postmodernists and that leaves everyone with artistic sensibilities who disagrees with the postmodern ethos, out in the cold.
To your point, being left nowhere, two things need to happen simultaneously, and I've already seen the buds of this renewal, so I believe a new spring is on the way. The two things that need to happen are: 1. Artists need to keep creating in the face of poverty and obsoletism. 2. More importantly, in some ways, and I hate saying this, but it's true, a rich patron, or a few rich patrons of the arts, together, need to buy out a place like The Met or whatever studio has famous showings, either that or they need to just create their own. And then patronize actual talented artists.
This has happened in comedy with Rogan starting his comedy club. This has happened in writing with Substack and a few indie publishers. This is starting to happen in the movies with Angel studios and even the Daily Wire a little bit. And now it's time for it to happen to the art world.
Once these little buds start to open and flourish, once the public turns away from what had been the mainstream for so long, and finds a little bit of alternative art flourishing, then I think you'll start to see a real Renaissance of thinking and of true art, again.
You could have artists paid for creating beautiful and thoughtful works, which in turn would motivate some people with a creative bent to follow their dreams, which they never thought they could. Once it got rolling you could even start having feeder schools of art with the successful older artists passing the torch to the new, younger artists. Like you have now but in various schools of thought, rather than just the One, the “master” thought of Postmodernism.
Just like Musk bought out Twitter and let reasonable people back to join in the public debate, (like the current political frontrunner) someone like Musk needs to buy out the Met, or wherever. Or start a new one. And not exclude the postmoderns, but turn art back into a meritocracy, instead of an ideologically based system that excludes anyone who doesn't prescribe to it and all of its insanity.
Sorry for the book of a comment.
Love this. I’ll reply more thoroughly tomorrow.
The way is, through our own imaginations and our own dreams and desires, through our own original consciousness to create the art that is within us. To create the beauty that is original to each of us. To stop being slaves to the system that wishes to control all. Our achievements should never have been subjected to Institutions!
Kara, you describe it so well, the authenticity needed to combat institutional thought.
Wow. I love this Michael. Got nothing to lose anymore standing for truth. Best feeling in the world is to tell it, like you did here. Bravo!
Everything politics touches it destroys. Art became a political expression, an expression of hate and rejection, an expression of narcissism and nihilism. Art became a rebellion to everything good and decent. Art became anti-art.
Michael, I got curious and googled postmodernism, just to see what would pop up. Well Ayn Rand wasn’t mentioned and of course neither were you. Of course the first info to appear was from Reddit questions and answers. 🙈Google isn't what it used to be…So you’re going to love this answer (being facetious here). Here is part of it:
“ Most of the time, this is an expression of anti-intellectualism that cites a few French philosophers to paint a portrait of a vast intellectual movement that is the root of whatever the author thinks is wrong with contemporary society, from college student activists to gender studies to whatever else. While this is a frequent target in conservative circles, it's also present, though likely to a less degree, in centrist, liberal and Marxist circles.”
I don’t know whether to laugh, smirk, or scream. I will do all three! 🤣😏😱
It’s been a long time since I read Rand’s books. I was obsessed with her in my early 20s, and wish she had written more. But, her contributions through her writing, was focused with profound understanding. She packed a lot in her work.
https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/s/TEA8nB3Wbz
I looked up all the pieces of postmodern art you mentioned in the beginning of the piece. Disturbing puts it lightly. Especially the self portrait of blood and piss christ. How was the latter an award winning piece?
That is a good question, and one that should be asked of every postmodern exhibition. I think once someone sells their soul, unapologetically engages in hatred of the good, or finds their efforts lead to destruction find solace in postmodern art. Postmodern art gives them confirmation that everything in the world is evil including themselves so they can think "I am not so bad." And then others that know that by promoting PM art you kill any momentum for real artists.
We might be tempted to call this grotesque art but that would be incorrect. Grotesque is useful when the artist has a meaning aside from their individual idea of wrong and right. Of course postmodernism rejects the absolute and attempts to establish the relative as the absolute and in the process devolves to a blathering idiocy. Kudos to Flannery O’Connor for this sentiment
I have always felt that a large percentage of postmodern art is essentially a troll on the art world. The ones 'in the know' are aware of this and they get their kicks watching everyone else trying to figure it out. It is also a blatant rejection of beauty and romanticism, anything that uplifts the human spirit must be relegated to the dustbin like an out of fashion coat. They want a gallery of ugliness to reflect the most base aspects of humanity and they'll throw in a buttload of conceptual obfuscation to befuddle those that would try to derive any meaning.
Not a bad way to launder millions of dollars in dirty money though 🤣
“they'll throw in a buttload of conceptual obfuscation to befuddle” 😀🙌