An ‘Ism’ Overview – Street Art vs. Postmodern Art

Street Art and Postmodern Art are two distinct styles of artistic expression that have emerged in different cultural contexts and historical periods. While Street Art can be traced back to the graffiti culture of the 1970s in urban centers, Postmodern Art emerged as a response to the modernist ideals of the mid-20th century. In this essay, I will compare and contrast these two artistic movements, exploring their similarities and differences in terms of their formal characteristics, cultural significance, and artistic ideologies.

First, let us examine the formal characteristics of Street Art and Postmodern Art. Street Art is characterized by its use of urban spaces as a canvas, often employing graffiti, stenciling, and wheat pasting techniques to create a visual narrative. It is often political in nature, aiming to challenge societal norms and expose the injustices of the urban environment. Postmodern Art, on the other hand, is characterized by its rejection of modernist ideals of purity, authenticity, and originality. It employs a range of media, including painting, sculpture, and installation, and often combines elements of popular culture and historical references to create a layered, complex aesthetic.

Despite these formal differences, both Street Art and Postmodern Art share a similar cultural significance. Both movements emerged as a response to a changing cultural landscape, marked by the rise of globalization, consumerism, and mass media. Street Art arose as a form of resistance against the commercialization and homogenization of urban spaces, while Postmodern Art emerged as a critique of the dominant artistic and cultural narratives of modernism. Both movements sought to challenge the status quo, to provoke thought, and to spark social change.

Yet, while both movements share a similar cultural significance, they differ significantly in their artistic ideologies. Street Art is characterized by its DIY ethos, its emphasis on community and collaboration, and its rejection of traditional notions of authorship and ownership. It values the ephemeral and the transitory, often intentionally creating works that are meant to be impermanent. Postmodern Art, on the other hand, is characterized by its emphasis on the conceptual and the intellectual, its rejection of traditional hierarchies of value, and its embrace of the multiplicity and hybridity of contemporary culture. It values the ambiguous and the uncertain, often intentionally creating works that challenge our assumptions and expectations.

In conclusion, while Street Art and Postmodern Art share some formal and cultural similarities, they differ significantly in their artistic ideologies. Street Art is characterized by its use of urban spaces as a canvas, its political nature, and its DIY ethos, while Postmodern Art is characterized by its rejection of modernist ideals, its embrace of the conceptual and the intellectual, and its multiplicity and hybridity. Both movements are important expressions of the changing cultural landscape of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and both continue to shape contemporary art and culture in significant ways.