Artistic practice in the aftermath of postmodernism : a case study

Abstract

Postmodern discourse is still the dominant factor in the 21st century art production. On the other hand, there have appeared a number of alternative concepts which suggest that the influence of postmodern tendencies on art is diminishing, becoming unable to meet today's realities, or transforming altogether. The common ground among these new concepts is that they postulate a partial return to modernist tendencies such as creativity, originality, and/or uniqueness, without denying the achievements of postmodernism such as deconstruction, open-endedness or interaction, thus creating an oscillation. The thesis aims to examine a selection of recent new media works which are all connected with these new tendencies in one way or another, based on their conceptual backgrounds and/or their aesthetic approach in relation to the evolution of new media. While investigating these artworks by case study approach, the thesis claims that these artworks can be taken as indicators of a new understanding in arts.