Just as modernism was a reaction to the progressive technological uprising at the time, postmodernism was a reaction against this in favour of looking back on our past in appreciation and using the enhancements of moving forward to socially appropriate already existing design aesthetics. Jameson's text directly expresses his Marxist opinion of pastiche and postmodernism being a negative and empty imitation of the past. In contrast Hutcheons celebrates postmodernism and the use of parody to mock modernism, rebel against bureaucracy and be critical against both the past and current political circumstance.
One overall theme of Hutcheon's text is aimed at creatives (particularly modernists) with the desire to open their minds and show the potential of parody as a social and political tool to create change. From the offset the text defines Hutcheons opinion of modernism when described as
"the product of an alliance between bureaucracy and totalitarianism, and singles out the great error of modern architecture in the break of
historical continuity. Solidarity's words should be meditated upon,
especially by those who have confused a great movement of collective
consciousness with a passing fashion" (Hutcheon, 1989).
The text is arguing that postmodernism and parody are not infact "a systematic mimicry of their willful eccentricities" (Jameson, 1984), but instead are helpful in developing association between art and our own history to give external meaning beyond aesthetic and order to our design.
In contrast theme underlying opinion of Jameson's text is less about postmodernism being parody and instead being pastiche; an inaccurate reimagining of the past, just a bad imitation "without any of parody's ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter and of any conviction alongside the abnormal tongue you have momentarily borrowed". He is making a statement about postmodernism being unoriginal and insignificant as it is the "cannibalization" of genuine history. Hutcheon's text argues against this ideology in saying "it's deliberate refusal to do so is not a naive one: what postmodernism does is to contest the very possibility of there ever being 'ultimate objects'", meaning it allows creatives to use past facts and experiences but not to their complete truth and be imaginative in orchestrating them into something as a whole that is new just using the past as a referent.
One example of pastiche in contemporary culture is within Quentin Tarantino's films. The overall aesthetic and over-exaggerated, low effect gore is typical of exploitation and b-movie film and other aspects of clear inspiration. Yet without being defined any one category he pays homage to the nostalgia felt by these sub genres by combining and recreating them within his own creations.
Another example of pastiche is the design work of Stranger and Stranger. Their company ethos being "don't fit in, stand out" (stranger and stranger), they both pay homage to and cultivate the design styles of many different movements such as victorian woodblock type, americana etc. and make them more culturally appropriate (digitalisation for mass production).
An example of parody used in digital graphics is in the image below. It's a clear example of how parody can be used as political satire in the hope of creating cultural change. For writers, artists, filmmakers etc. that aren't in a dominant position of power within the community, postmodern parody can be a be a simple and effective way of sparking change within the masses, using the benefits of the internet revolution in particular without the need for money.
Another example of parody is the broadcasts and programmes by Charlie Brooker. His fictional programmes intelligently comment on both future and current dystopian issues regarding reliance on technology, politics and other cultural issues. He mocks the way our society is ran and controlled by creating suggestive scenarios showing how these regulations are damaging to our society's well being.
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