ChittyChittyBangBang Jencks

This article gave a very unique perspective than what we have seen so far this term on postmodernism. I am currently in an Art History class and this article reminded me a lot of the terms and ideas that we have discussed in there.

Such as, today in art history we discussed Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci.

"Vitruvius equated the 'perfect' human body with the celestial order and then justified the perfected order of the temple on these assumptions." (Jencks, 282)

This Greek perspective of what the ideal form of a man is was used for measurements. This humanism archetecture style was more in the Renaissance era. Now with our view of a "Newtonian /Einsteinian universe" our theories are much less harmonious. The oxymoron, 'disharmonious harmony' was used frequently throughout this handout.

"...multiple links between the work and its setting. This unlimited semiosis (the continual discovery of new meaning in works that are rich in external and internal associations), is characteristic of both postmodernism nad inclusive in art in general." (Jencks, 290)

We talked of how language and meanings are constantly evolving. How our grandparents talked is overall completely different than how my generation communicates. Some words to some groups of people or other cultures might have a completely differnet meaning than to another group of people, especially determining on the context of the statement. Ferdinand de Saussure's theories of semiotics are always changing and making new discoveries.

I also really likes this quote, I think I understand it but am still decyfering its exact translation...

"The mood on board the ship of postmodernism is that of an Italian and Spanish crew looking for India, which may, if it's lucky, accidently discover America: a crew which necessarily transports its cultural baggage and occasionally gets homesick, but one that is quite excited by the sense of liberation and promise of discoveries."