Intro to Postmodernism Irony

Postmodernism is a late-20th-century movement in the arts, architecture, and criticism that was a departure from modernism. In the perspective of Postmodernism, absolute truth does not exist, all things are relative according to differences in perception and aesthetic. Postmodernist reviews the truth with irony, and challenges the objective understanding of beauty, war, and  politic. The art peace "Fountain" by Duchamp challenged the idea, that all art peace should been aesthetic appreciated. Joseph Heller satiric war with his novel catch-22 by telling the ugliness of warfare.

Art is like a shipwreck .. it's everyman for himself." - Marcel Duchamp In New York, in 1917, Henri Robert Marcel Duchamp stood a plumbing fixture on its back, signed "R. Mutt" to the left side of the plumbing fixture, it is the first exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists under the title "Fountain". Fountain has question the standard of beauty with itself as an example, what is art? what is beauty?

In August 1944, Heller flew on a mission made him faced the possibility of death for the first time. That mission, says Heller biographer Tracy Daugherty, shaped the way Heller thought about war, a sensibility that permeates his novel. In the novel Catch-22, Joesph Heller created a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules. Catch-22s often result from individuals has no control over.

In Netflix`s episode, House of Cards. Beau Willimon use depict how powerful politicians manipulate each other to gain power,On the stage, they are famous and powerful leaders of people, but behind the stage, you never know what they did.  The comparison between what they promote and what they actually do become an irony.

All of three of those above are the production from the postmodern era, they are not universal recognized, , they challenged traditional objective ideas of beauty, warfare and politics.and showed mankind is regressive. And over all, they were expressed themselves with a different way- Irony.

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Duchamp`s fountain; Funtrivia; http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Duchamps-Fountain-197323.html; 2012
Catch-22 (logic); Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_(logic); 2012.
House of Cards TV episode; Netflix; 2013-2014.

The Fountain by Duchamp

The Fountain

After moving from Paris to New York in 1915, Marcel Duchamp founding the American Society of Independent Artists group that advances the ideas of new art. in April 1917, Duchamp submitted his first exhibition, a urinal he had purchased in the showroom of J. L. Mott Iron Works. Then he signed it "R. Mutt 1917 on the urinal and named it Fountain. The piece inspired heated argument among the society's directors and was finally rejected an hour before the exhibition opened. This piece had a make a huge impact on art and aesthetic. in the past, art piece are related beauties that people appreciate. But a urinal is not a art piece appreciated by people, neither visual nor feeling, ironically, Duchamp submitted it as an art project.

The question “what is art” is both more simple and more complex than it might seem at first glance. Andy Warhol once quipped, “Art is whatever you can get away with.” Is it? His observation raises some interesting questions: How does one go about judging a work of art as art, beauty. What is the standard? Is something impressive, like a NYC street artist who paint pop art on stree? Or is such a display really something else? Art criticism and the fine arts are fallen on a slippery slope through time, Poems and literature have not show much better, and the reasons why it is defined as a particular kind of postmodern approach to criticism, “deconstructive”. Art and its critics, many people probably are not even familiar with postmodernism as a movement, have nevertheless been under the influence of deconstructive postmodern philosophy since the days of  the "fountain". “Deconstructive postmodernism” a very short introduction  include who debate not truth or beauty, but truth and beauty are something merely constructed, bond by culture and gender, or it could be   and totally relative always. As an example of how far-reaching this worldview is, a deconstructive postmodernist would argue that gorillas are protected more passionately than reptiles only because they remind us of us. It is our own unconscious narcissism that makes us value them more than a shellfish or insect, not any inherent or innate value

Why R.Mutt 1917?
Later in life Duchamp commented on the name of the alter ego he created for this work: 'Mutt comes from Mott Works, the name of a large sanitary equipment manufacturer. But Mott was too close so I altered it to Mutt, after the daily cartoon strip 'Mutt and Jeff' which appeared at the time, and with which everyone was familiar. Thus, from the start, there was an interplay of Mutt: a fat little funny man, and Jeff: a tall thin man ... I wanted any old name, And I added Richard [French slang for moneybags]. That's not a bad name for a pissotière. Get it? The opposite of poverty. But not even that much, just R. MUTT.'  Duchamp's use of a false signature, 'R. Mutt', anticipates his adoption of the alter ego Rrose Sélavy a few years later (indeed, in a letter of the period Duchamp referred to Mutt as a woman). Some commentators have noted how the inverted urinal resembles a female body, and see this as reflecting the play with gender boundaries which was an important leitmotif of Duchamp's career. -Tate.org



Duchamp`s fountain; Funtrivia; http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Duchamps-Fountain-197323.html; 2012
Fountain; tate.org;  http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/duchamp-fountain-t07573: 2009.

Catch-22 by Joesph Heller

When Catch-22 was first published in 1961, it wasn't universally accepted. Until then, books about war became popular and serious, often tragic in tone. Heller's war was a black comedy, filled with orders from above that made no sense and characters who just wanted to stay alive. The novel seemed to offend some reviewers.

In August 1944, Heller flew on a mission over the French town of Avignon. Sitting in  a B-25 bomber, Heller faced thereal possibility of death for the first time. That mission, says Heller biographer Tracy Daugherty, shaped the way Heller thought about war, a sensibility that permeates his novel.."After that mission over Avignon, Heller really understood that this is not an abstraction," Daugherty says. "They are out to kill me personally, and he didn't like it — and Yossarian doesn't either." (Joesph Heller, Catch-22)
Yossarian is created base on Heller himself — an everyman soldier who is trying as hard as he can to get out of the war. But the more he tries, the more he is caught in the famous catch: "Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy," Doc Daneeka, the Army physician, explains. There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Bomber pilot, Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. ... Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. The novel draws to a close as Yossarian, troubled by Nately’s death, refuses to fly any more missions.He turns his back on the dehumanizing machinery of the military, rejects the rule of Catch-22, and strives to gain control of his own life.(Joesph Heller, Catch-22)

That Catch-22 is a parody is quite clear. Heller expresses it by using many paradoxical statements to absurd qualities of all his characters. Although the tone is at times light-hearted, at other times, it becomes very serious. This fits the themes of the work, and seems to comment on the absurdity of war. While characters can be joking about apples at the moment, people are dying the next.

Catch-22 (logic); Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_(logic); 2012.

Joseph Heller's "Catch 22" As Postmodern Literature;20th-century-philosophy.wikispaces; https://20th-century-philosophy.wikispaces.com/Catch-22+as+Postmodern+Literature;2011

House of Cards

In House of Cards, the Netflix directors told a series of story of hypercritical politicians, they act great and righteous in public, but at the back of the theme, they manipulate each other to gain their personal benefits.It is ironic how the powerful leaders of people are so corrupted in reality.

In Episode 6, Francis Underwood had a TV debate with the Marty Spinella, the chief of teacher union. In the Debate, Marty keep saying how teacher`s right should be respect, and why would teachers go on a strike. But the reality is absolutely opposite, in the last episode, when Marty started the war with Underwood, he decide to launch a protest at where Underwood is hosting a fund-raising party. There was a quick conversation when Marty and his assistant,(House of Cards Episode 5-6)

Marty: I need 200 teachers, to the  Cotesworth Hotel right now. I need a full picket"  
assistant: 200? I don`t know If we can get that many " 
Marty:" I don`t give a f*ck if they`re teachers or not, frankly. just get me 200 bodies. You know, call the teamsters, Maybe they`ill help us. We will give them glasses if we have to. Tell the guys to look smart." (House of Cards, Episode 5)


The Debate itself also became an irony

 As a result, Marty successfully launched a protest during Underwood`s party. But the return stroke from Underwood, made the story more ironic. Underwood came out from the party with his people, and give ribs and foods to the protesters, It is not surprise, the teamsters are not able to hold the temptation of food after protesting for hours. Seriously, what would people think about, if this happen in reality. (House of Cards, Episode 5-6）

Also, The episode was expressed in a humorous way,  audience will often laugh when they see the problems expose. Also there is another theme, Marty told the manager of Cotesworth Hotel to cancel the party, Doug Stamper, Frank Underwood`s chief of staff had a conversation with the manager,

Manager: I'll close the gate.
Doug: You know, I'm no expert in fire code, but I would imagine that locking your guests in is a bigger violation than having them walk around us.
Manager: This is trespassing on private property. You're breaking the law.
Doug: Right, okay. 
Let me get Barney Hull on the phone here for you.
Here you go.
It's ringing.
Manager: Who's Barney Hull? 
Doug: The police commissioner.
No? Okay.
You'd rather talk to him in person, that's great.
He's coming to the party. （House of Cards, Episode 5)

Through the themes, the Netflix directors make humorous theme to make depiction of those powerful people, in fact, they are making satire how their power was been used in such corrupted and selfish ways. And how those hypercritical politicians act paradoxically between the stage and reality

House Of Cards Season 1, Episode 5 Recap: A BBQ And A Meltdown; huffingtonpost; http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/chris-jancelewicz/house-of-cards-season-1-episode-5-recap_b_2848377.html; 2014

House of Cards TV episode; Netflix; 2013-2014.

Conclusion

Today, The Fountain is just an art piece shown in museum, that commemorates the beginning of postmodern arts. Catch-22 became an early example of postmodern literature, that people use to learn about postmodernism. And now day medias are fulfilled with postmodern elements, for example, house of cards. But non of them are seditious as they are in the past. It is undeniable that Postmodern movement had impact the world, on beauty, art, literature, politics,perspective, even the way of people expressing ideas.  But over time, the trend of Postmodernism has been diffused, in other words, the postmodern era had reach it`s end. People often said, postmodernism is dead(Alan Kirby), in fact, the death of postmodernism itself is a paradox. Postmodernism had molten in to the era we live in, all of postmodernism elements are now part of  our time, and that is why people no longer view postmodernism abnormal.

Now days, people use irony all the time, in politics, medias, even daily life.  When people over use irony, irony no longer sounds ironic, if irony is no longer ironic, is it still irony? or it is an irony of irony itself?  If postmodern era is over, then what should we call this intricate era, Pre-future? or we should just call it "now"




Edward; Docx; Postmodernism is dead; prospectmagazine;http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/postmodernism-is-dead-va-exhibition-age-of-authenticism/#.U3pY4vldV8E; 2011

philosophynow.org/; The Death of Postmodernism And Beyond;http://philosophynow.org/issues/58/The_Death_of_Postmodernism_And_Beyond ;2006