Mamta Kalia

Second, in the field of dance criticism,
according to Sally Banes, this term has
been used to an early movement toward
functionality, purity and self –reflexivity
and subsequently to ‘ rekindling of
interest in narrative structure’.
Third, in the field of language, the
term post-modern referred to combine
polemical tone and new coinages. Further
it sees language as the idea of ‘play’the
meaning of a series of ‘markings’
is imputed by the reader, not by the
author, hence the reader constructs or
interprets the text. Post modernism in
language has been identified with poor
writing and communication skills –
‘pomobabble’ illustrates this trend here.
Fourth, in the arena of art, this
term denotes diversity and contradiction;
it rejects rigid genre boundaries and
favours eclecticism, the mixing of ideas
and forms. It promotes parody, irony
and playfulness (‘jouissance’). It talks
of ‘ accessibly’ seeking more connection
with audiences. It prefers mixing of words
with art, collage and other movements
in order to create more multiplicity of
medium and message. Here mass media
is regarded as a fundamental subject
for art. It also elevated cinema in artistic
discussions because of blurring of
distinctions between ‘high’ and ‘low’ arts
and also because of the recognition that
cinema represented the creation of
simulance that was later duplicated in
arts.
Fifth, in the arena of photography,
‘content’ is associated with realism and
68 :: April-June 2010
modernism, whereas post-modern is
associated with anti-representational,
anti-narrative, deconstructive
photography of Cindly Sherman, Sherry
Levine and Richard Prince.
Sixth, in the field of literature postmodernism
stands for expansion, return
of reference, and celebration of
fragmentation. To them, the present is
different from the modern era, hence
it requires a new literary sensibility.
Thomas Pynchon, John Barth, Don Delillo
and David Foster Wallace may be put
in this category.
Seventh, in the field of philosophy,
Thomas Kuhn and David Bohm are seen
as post-modern as they reject
mathematics as a strictly neutral point
of view.
Finally, in the field of communication,
Marshall McLuhan observed that ‘medium
is message’- the ability of broadcasting
was seen as a liberating force in human
affairs, though some scholars viewed
television as ‘a vast wasteland’. In the
second wave of digital communication,
with the introduction of internet, scholars
like Esther Dyson, it makes fragmentation
of modern society a positive feature and
anybody can get access to the artistic
cultural and community experiences of
his or her choice easily. Thus it is
presumed that fragmentation of society
and communication gives the individual
more autonomy to create his or her
environment and narrative.
Needless to say that various scholars
have talked of ‘ post industrial society’