Post-World War II, Part 3

Question 1: Discuss the issues of appropriation and ambiguity in post-Modern art.

Answer 1: Appropriation” became a popular term in 1980s art criticism. It involves taking characteristics or elements of past artwork and incorporating them into contemporary artwork—a practice that factors heavily into post-Modernist art. Although appropriation has been criticized for its seeming lack of originality, it has been a common practice of artists—including such masters as Monet and Picasso—throughout history. However, appropriation does introduce the issue of ambiguity: Is the artist simply paying respect to the artists who preceded him? Is the artist challenging her viewers to recognize which elements have been appropriated? Is the artist making a statement about the true nature of skill or talent if it can be so easily repeated? Artists such as Carlo Mariani have dedicated much of their careers to exploring the issues of originality and ambiguity posed by appropriation. Mariani not only uses elements of past artwork in his compositions, he creates inauthentic copies.

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Question 2: Identify (1) Richard Estes, (2) Duane Hanson, and (3) Cindy Sherman.

Answer 2: Richard Estes (born 1936) is an American painter and seminal figure in the development of Photo-Realism and the reemergence of realistic imagery. He is also known for his skillful use of illusion. Many of his works depict urban street settings, such as Telephone Booths (1968) and Bus Reflections, Ansonia (1972). Duane Hanson (1925–1996) was an American sculptor associated with the Hyperrealist movement, which is an advancement of Photo-Realism. Hanson used photographs to create sculptures, such as Tourists (1970), which are known for presenting common, everyday subjects in fascinating and engaging ways. Cindy Sherman (born 1954) is an American photographer and creator of conceptual portraits. Her works have explored a variety of themes and styles but tend to focus on her as the subject.

Question 3: Discuss Neo-Expressionism. Then identify Julian Schnabel.

Answer 3: Neo-Expressionism (also known as Maximalism) was a figurative artistic style that emerged in the 1980s as a counterresponse to the Minimalism and abstraction of previous decades. Whereas Minimalist art is known for a sophisticated, cool, and understated appearance, Neo-Expressionist art exhibits a cluttered, visceral, and gestural style. It also revived illusionism and subjective expression. Julian Schnabel (born 1951) is the foremost American exponent of Neo-Expressionism. His works are known for their dense color, ambiguity of meaning, assertiveness, and sense of uneasiness, which is a common trait among Neo-Expressionist works. In rejection of the Minimalist style, Schnabel’s paintings often include bits of debris, such as his broken crockery paintings, which incorporate ceramic fragments, and his Pre-History: Glory, Honor, Privilege, and Poverty, to which antlers have been glued. Literary and visual topics often provide subject matter for Schnabel’s works, such as Geography (1980), which is part of his Huge Wall Symbolizing the Fate’s Inaccessibility series.

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