The Fusing of High and Low Art Jeff Koons and Barbara Bruger - Article Example

Introduction This paper analyzes two different artists and the roles they paly in the postmordernism by looking at their postmordern characteristics that they use in their works. The two artists are Barbra kruger and Jeff Koons . The two are relevant in the study of postmoern characteristics beacuse their arts play an important part in it and they have been in this for long. The use of this postmodern characterictics is very clear in the works of the two artists. Barbra Kruger is an American artist who was born in 1945. She uses photographs to improve on her artistics works so as to emphasize on the message that she intends to pass to her funs. She mostly talks about her hate for sexism and critisizes it by emphasis of her black and white photographs (Alberro, Kruger & Kown 2010). Barbra has many books, articles and magazines that she has written on this matter of feminism taht sell in countries all over the world. Barbra also uses videos and audios to express her artistic styles and pass her message on feminism. Her photographs attract the attention of many people and many are in museum, in galleries and also in presentations in exhibitions. She uses such words like “you” and “we” to symbolize the male and female gendre in his works and his photographs emphasize more to the message. The second artist who applies the postmodern characteristics is Jeff Koons. He is an American artist born in 1955. Hos works make good use of the postmodern characteristics especially in his production of objects like the balloon animals (Koons & Sischy 2008). He produces these animals by using stainless steel which emphasize on his message to the people. He also uses sculptures to express his art message and has got several awards because of his use of these postmodern characteristics. His sculptures are in many museums and in exhibitions all over the world. In this essay we shall elaborate more on the artistic styles that the two artists use in their works and the relevance to the postmodern characteristics. It shall also look at the postmodern characteristics that these artists use in their work and its relevance to art. This paper will also analyze the photographs that these artists use and have the drawings so that in analyzes their relevance to the postmodern characteristics. The postmodern characteristics Postmodernism refers to the characteristics that artists are using in this new era of art that incorporate the new times. It also utilizes cultures that the two artists use in the postmodern era in their artistic works. It also refers to how the artists use cultures in expressing postmodern times in the world today, so that there is no complete elimination and erosion of culture from their works (Alberro, Kruger & Kown 2010). There are some characteristics of the postmodern characteristics like the differentiating the high and low and the popular culture. This is so in the kind of material that the artists use and the technique that they use to exhibit the art. The two artists use the art of fusing high and low art. They do so by mixing these two arts so that they bring out the best of their messages to the people. However, the two artists use the postmodern characteristics differently hence; the need to look at each artists separately and their use of the styles. The high art refers to the use of high culture in the artistic works by the artists above (Koons & Sischy 2008). The low art on the other hand refers to use of popular culture by the artists in their works. The paper analyzes each artist independently by looking at the postmodern characteristics that they use and how effectively they use the characteristics. These characteristics were in use in the late 20th century by artists. Artists use these postmodern characteristics to express their ideas in regard to such issues like changes that are taking place. For instance, Barbra uses these styles to express her ideas of changing the aspect of feminism in today’s world. She uses her black and white photographs and phrases such as “you” to refer to the male gender (Koones 2007). The photographs that she uses aim at encouraging the female gender no to feel inferior to the male gender. She also uses her photographs to encourage the male gender to advocate for stopping inequality and promote equality for the female gender. This is an issue in the postmodern times and Barbara uses culture to bring out her message concerning some of these issues. The photograph below shows Barbara’s art that encourages the female gender to avoid the inequality that exists in the world today. Barbara Kruger, Your Body is a Battleground, 1989. https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwFlQpfRL3cvLnt8HcSOuDt9dWHdbI241yZUdd82TBeXkrvzia8w. Some of the quotes that Barbara uses in her work include the use of phrases that are most common in her work like to emphasize on her topics. Her topics deal with classicism which she expresses in her magazines and her drawings that sell in the world. She aims at encouraging and motivating people. They include such phrases like the use of various pronouns in reference to many things that she touches in her topics. For instance, she uses “I”, “YOU” as a way of using the style of imagery (Suarez 2007). She also uses other phrases like “WE” and “THEY” in many of her magazines and other arts. These phrases aim at expressing her ideas in her arts as she uses the postmodern characteristics in her captions. She also uses them in her videos and audios. Barbara’s major topics base themselves in the social life in the postmodern era. For instance, the on how we relate with each other in the social life. This includes such aspects like kindness of people to one another in the daily social lives (Zurbrugg 2004). It also includes the brutalities that people face in their social lives as they interact with each other. She uses art to express all these and high art improves her messages to the public. There is a difference between the uses of postmodern characteristics by the two artists above because of the style they use to express their arts. Jeff tries to bring out some humor and playful aspect in bringing out his message to the public by using the characteristics of postmodernism (Suarez 2007). Barbra on the other hand uses high culture unlike Jeff who uses the popular culture for his arts. However, they are all characteristics of the postmodernism in displaying their messages of art to the public. Jeff utilizes the popular culture to showcase his art traditionally. Another contrast between these two artists in regard to how they use their materials and techniques to display their arts is that Jeff is more popular than Barbra. This is because Jeff uses skills that attract children because of their sense of humor. For instance, he makes sculptures with smiling faces that made from mustard (Zurbrugg 2004). This attracts both kids and adults which has made more popular because of his technique and the colors that he uses to attract the attention of his target group. This is unlike Barbra whose major topics in her arts are more educative in nature than entertaining. This means that she does not attract much audience like Jeff because of her choice of display of her postmodern characteristics. Jeff Koons expresses his postmodern characteristics in his art through such things like using toys to display a certain message to the public. He also made vacuum cleaners in the late 20th century to show case his artistic styles in Paris which made him well known in the world. Jeff also uses sculptures for his art skills (Koones 2007). For instance, he made the sculpture of Michael Jackson which made him very prominent. He is also responsible for making a sculpture of a chimpanzee which was a pet of the well known musician. The sculpture below shows what Jeff made for the musician. Jeff also utilizes the aspect of imagery from the culture that is well known to express his ideas. This means that he uses the characteristic of popular culture of the postmodern characteristic in his art (Koons & Sischy 2008). He expresses the modern issues through his images like the current problem of smoking in the world, especially in America. Jeff has been caught in the tie of differentiating between the two characteristics of postmodern art. https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRGS6boFSRsXtaNj1Dj01vYBkiTtws-3D23JicjP4fTc8alZI7p Conclusion The two artists above make effective use of the postmodern characteristics in their art which has made them popular. The use of this two styles or characteristics makes their arts interesting and attracts their target group. As shown above, they both use the styles in their work though they differ in the kind of characteristic that they use. The artists work shows the use of the postmodern characteristics through the techniques that they use to display their work. For instance, the making sculptures and photographs to describe aspects and issues that are current in the world today (Zurbrugg 2004). The two artists use these two characteristics effectively because of the fame that they gain from their works and arts. Regardless of some critiques that they receive, they still forge ahead with their artistic works without getting disappointments and they emerge successful. Therefore, the two are good examples and role models of the use of the postmodern characteristics in the art industry. Bibliography Alberro, A. Kruger, B & Kown, M. (2010): Barbara Kruger: Rizzoli. Evelyn, S. C. (2011): Barbara Kruger: International book marketing service limited. Koons, J, Kellein, T & Bielefeld, K. (2002): Jeff Koons: pictures, 1980-2002: D.A.P Distributed art publishers. Koons, J & Sischy, I. (2008): Koons: with an original artwork: Taschen American Llc. Arnason, H. H & Mansfield, E. (2009): history of modern art: painting. Sculpture, architecture, photography: Prentice hall. Bourriaud, N. (2002): relational aesthetics: Les Presses du reel. Auping, M & Modern art museum of Fort Worth. (2002): modern art museum of fort worth 110: Third millennium information ltd. Kennedy, D. M & Cohen, L. (2012): The American pageant: Cengage learning. Koones, J. (2007): The New Yorker, volume 83, issue 9-17: F-R Pub Corporation. Suarez, J. A. (2007): contemporary film directors: University of Illinois press. Zurbrugg, N. (2004): art, performance, and media: 31 interviews: University of Minnesota press. Geyh, Paula. "Postmodernism." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. 2005. Retrieved May 23, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3424300626.html Read More

The two artists use the art of fusing high and low art. They do so by mixing these two arts so that they bring out the best of their messages to the people. However, the two artists use the postmodern characteristics differently hence; the need to look at each artists separately and their use of the styles. The high art refers to the use of high culture in the artistic works by the artists above (Koons & Sischy 2008). The low art on the other hand refers to use of popular culture by the artists in their works.

The paper analyzes each artist independently by looking at the postmodern characteristics that they use and how effectively they use the characteristics. These characteristics were in use in the late 20th century by artists. Artists use these postmodern characteristics to express their ideas in regard to such issues like changes that are taking place. For instance, Barbra uses these styles to express her ideas of changing the aspect of feminism in today’s world. She uses her black and white photographs and phrases such as “you” to refer to the male gender (Koones 2007).

The photographs that she uses aim at encouraging the female gender no to feel inferior to the male gender. She also uses her photographs to encourage the male gender to advocate for stopping inequality and promote equality for the female gender. This is an issue in the postmodern times and Barbara uses culture to bring out her message concerning some of these issues. The photograph below shows Barbara’s art that encourages the female gender to avoid the inequality that exists in the world today.

Barbara Kruger, Your Body is a Battleground, 1989. https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwFlQpfRL3cvLnt8HcSOuDt9dWHdbI241yZUdd82TBeXkrvzia8w. Some of the quotes that Barbara uses in her work include the use of phrases that are most common in her work like to emphasize on her topics. Her topics deal with classicism which she expresses in her magazines and her drawings that sell in the world. She aims at encouraging and motivating people. They include such phrases like the use of various pronouns in reference to many things that she touches in her topics.

For instance, she uses “I”, “YOU” as a way of using the style of imagery (Suarez 2007). She also uses other phrases like “WE” and “THEY” in many of her magazines and other arts. These phrases aim at expressing her ideas in her arts as she uses the postmodern characteristics in her captions. She also uses them in her videos and audios. Barbara’s major topics base themselves in the social life in the postmodern era. For instance, the on how we relate with each other in the social life.

This includes such aspects like kindness of people to one another in the daily social lives (Zurbrugg 2004). It also includes the brutalities that people face in their social lives as they interact with each other. She uses art to express all these and high art improves her messages to the public. There is a difference between the uses of postmodern characteristics by the two artists above because of the style they use to express their arts. Jeff tries to bring out some humor and playful aspect in bringing out his message to the public by using the characteristics of postmodernism (Suarez 2007).

Barbra on the other hand uses high culture unlike Jeff who uses the popular culture for his arts. However, they are all characteristics of the postmodernism in displaying their messages of art to the public. Jeff utilizes the popular culture to showcase his art traditionally. Another contrast between these two artists in regard to how they use their materials and techniques to display their arts is that Jeff is more popular than Barbra. This is because Jeff uses skills that attract children because of their sense of humor.

For instance, he makes sculptures with smiling faces that made from mustard (Zurbrugg 2004). This attracts both kids and adults which has made more popular because of his technique and the colors that he uses to attract the attention of his target group.

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