Unit 10: Global Contemporary Perspectives (1980 CE – Present)

Postmodernism

An art movement that embraces complexity, contradiction, and ambiguity, emerging in the late 20th century.

Pluralism

The acceptance of multiple viewpoints rather than a single universal truth.

Appropriation

The practice of taking existing objects or images and recontextualizing them with little variation.

Rejection of Originality

The postmodern belief that true originality is a myth due to the recycling of images in mass media.

Kitsch

Art considered to be in poor taste due to excessive garishness or sentimentality.

Identity Politics

Art that explores race, gender, sexuality, and class, often critiquing historical power structures.

Cindy Sherman

An artist known for using photography to construct artificial identities and critique the Male Gaze.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

An artist who combines graffiti with high culture to reclaim African American history.

Site-Specific Art

Art that is designed for a specific location, losing its meaning if moved.

Environmental Intervention

Artworks that interact with and transform the perception of the environment.

Institutional Critique

Artworks that challenge and critique the structures and systems of the institutions that house them.

Ai Weiwei

An artist known for critiquing mass production and highlighting the labor of individuals in works like 'Sunflower Seeds'.

Nam June Paik

Pioneer of video art, known for his work 'Electronic Superhighway' which explores media's impact on the understanding of place.

Video Art

An art form that uses video technology to express ideas and themes, often focusing on the element of time.

Bill Viola

An artist who uses video to explore spiritual and universal human experiences, exemplified by his work 'The Crossing'.

Mariko Mori

An artist who combines traditional Japanese imagery with digital fantasy in her work 'Pure Land'.

Viewer Participation

The interaction between the viewer and the artwork, especially relevant in installation art.

Installation Art

Art that transforms a space and involves the viewer in a multi-sensory experience.

Contemporary Art

Art produced from 1980 to the present, often defined by postmodern characteristics.

Irony

A common feature of postmodern art where expectations are subverted.

Pastiche

A postmodern technique that combines various styles and elements, often in a celebratory manner.

Conceptual Strategy

An approach in art where the idea behind the work is as important as its physical manifestation.

Ephemeral Art

Art that is temporary and meant to be experienced for a limited time.

Cultural Revolution

A sociopolitical movement in China that emphasized conformity and promoted communist ideology.

Gender as Performance

The idea that gender identity is expressed through actions and behaviors, often critiqued in contemporary art.

Viewer's Experience

How the audience interacts with and interprets art, crucial in the understanding of installation artworks.

Critique of Mass Media

The evaluation and criticism of the influence and impact of various forms of mass media in art.