In today’s class, we shifted our attention to postmodern art. Postmodern art challenged many cultural “norms” throughout society, rejecting many modernist ideals. Postmodern art deliberately used earlier styles and conventions of art. One of the artists we examined was Judy Chicago. In her “The Dinner Party,” there are a triangle of tables set up for specific groups of people. The floor contains a list of names, all of which are names of successful women. This artwork celebrates successful women, which is a contrast to many art periods we have examined which tend to only portray triumphs and heroics of male figures.
We also discussed the Maya Lin’s Vietnam memorial at the national mall in Washington D.C. This memorial is an important piece of artwork as it addresses fallen heroes during the Vietnam War, many of whom were drafted into war. It speaks to the bigger overall issue that existed during this time, when many college students protested because of the draft rules in place. The discussion regarding art within the Colby Arts Museum was fascinating as well. We are very fortunate to have such amazing works of art right on our campus for the public to view.