Images that Says Something by D. Darteo Sommese


Postmodernism in action.

Postmodernism, is a complex term to toss around outside art circles. Even in those circles, one is never sure the definition of the term is completely agreed upon by those who use it. The reason maybe that the definition is still evolving. In actuality, it is a term borrowed from literary criticism. The term reflects a dissatisfaction with Modernism. Modernism being the art historians label for the last great epoch in art we are evolving away from as time passes. A key factor in the ongoing dialog about Postmodernism is Deconstructive Criticism, which is a way of analyzing things using elements from a Marxist, Feminist , Semiotic, or psychoanalytical point of view. It builds upon ideas generated in movements in the art world that came immediately before it, specifically Pop Art, Conceptual Art and Feminist Art. It challenges the importance of subjectivity, originality and authorship, and goes on further to challenge the idea that art is a commodity to be bought and sold. It uses time worn artistic devices such as repetition, appropriation and pastiche, often times lifting characters out of famous works of past masters , combining it with other elements, to make an entirely different work of art . Often times postmodern art makes a social statement using images from the past to make statements germane to the present. I freely admit that none of the afore mentioned tenets of the Postmodern dialectic were a consideration when I created the above images. Art springs from a deeper well. My intention was merely to pay homage to the past masters I admire so much, and to simply SAY SOMETHING!


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