Architecture! Jenk’s ideas were much easier to grasp than those of our previous theorizers. Seeing the architecture that reflected the different patterns was helpful in differentiating ideas and understanding each pattern. The idea of disharmonious harmony seems like a huge contradiction. How can it be disharmonious but still be considered harmony? It was after seeing the beautiful bank building that it clicked. It can be completely different elements mixed to make a cohesive and visually appealing piece. My doctor’s office is located within a hospital. When this hospital was going up, everyone in the area was completely freaking about how it looked. Various colors and textures were used to create a unique design. Now, I realize this is an example of postmodern architecture and an example of disharmonious harmony.
Thinking about how Sugarhill Gang sampled Chic to make Rapper’s Delight, is how I can grasp disharmonious harmony. In theory, Chic and Sugarhill Gang are dissimilar, but somehow sampling Chic created a nice song. Extending the idea of disharmonious harmony outside of the artistic/media world, I started thinking about my relationship with my boyfriend. We are nothing alike. At all. Our hobbies differ, our personalities, and pretty much every other part of our personalities. Yet somehow we work. I am one element, and him a completely different one, but together we are a cohesive whole which just makes sense. We’d never be hitched by eHarmony, but we are in fact disharmoniously harmonious.
Tradition interpreted reminds me of the new wave country music hitting the radios these days. This new island style country music with so-called rock and roll flare is quite obnoxious. They’ve taken the basics of traditional country and reinvented them, calling it country, but not having music that necessarily reflects traditional country basics.
The absent center principle is interesting, because its one I’ve experienced over and over, but never really thought about. I don’t know how many times I’ve ridden those Disney monorails and never thought about how interesting the design really is. Utilizing architectural examples helps me to understand the lack of boundaries in postmodernism.
Kelsey. 9/11/08.
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I agree that Jencks was a lot easier to grasp. I think that looking at a specific aspect of post-modernism (architecture) definitely helped me get a better grasp on the idea of Post-modernity. I think that by taking a concrete manifestation of post-modern culture and discussing specific characteristics of post-modern architecture (as it contrasts other periods in architecture) I was able to get a feel for some of the core characteristics of postmodernism. Like you mentioned, the concept of disharmonious harmony is an inherent contradiction. The sense of contradiction (especially purposeful contradiction) seems to be a recurring theme in our study of the postmodern. I feel that the more we study specific aspects of postmodern culture, the more blanks are filled in about what post-modernity is.
I also found that the way that Dr. Casey periodized his lecture was especially helpful. Personally, I do not have any background in any form of art or art history. I feel that the way he outlined characteristics of periods prior to the post-modern era helped me distinguish between what design values actually belong to which period.
BG 09/15
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