Art as Alternative Media

When you hear the word "media," you probably think of television, newspapers, magazines, movies. But Nebraska high school student Elysia Mann reminds us that art is a form of media too. In this article Elysia describes the strengths of art as an alternative to the "whirlwind of messages" surrounding us in other media. Elysia wrote this article for a media literacy class sponsored by the Duke Talent Identification Program. For more information on the postmodern movement, visit the Postmodernism page published by University of Colorado Professor Mary Klages.

Art as Alternitave Media in a Postmodern World by Elysia Mann

Media surrounds us in our everyday lives, and our culture is a whirlwind of messages. They are, however, just that: messages. They are insensitive, revealing little of the author's own feelings, ideas, and beliefs.

All forms of media limit the author's freedom to a certain extent. Art, however, allows a choice of elements that can be combined to make visual and audio messages that reveal not only what the artist wants to say, but a part of who they are. Postmodern art in particular gives authors the prerogative to use materials and demonstrate ideas and opinions that could be limited by other media.

What is postmodernism? It's a period of cultural development that started in the late 1960s and is characterized by a distinct awareness and interest in the world the author lives in. Postmodern architecture, for example, is usually dissembled in appearance to reflect human life; we live in a decentralized and materialistic culture.

Artistic expression is prominent in the postmodern world. Not only are drawings and paintings common in our offices, public buildings, and homes, art techniques are widely used in other areas of life. Graphic artists design advertisements, interior designers use knowledge of color and placement to furnish buildings, and web designers use art to create Internet sites that provide information or promote products or ideas.

Vivid colors are among the visual elements of postmodern art. These deep hues color the artists' subtle and inexact subjects. Many authors use text in their art; this new tactic has provoked some strong responses. Peter Plagens, an art critic, says postmodern art is "bureaucratic" in trying to "dictate its own response...by blending words and images." This is not accurate. A painter can use words to speak figuratively and support their point of view. Postmodern art commonly reveals only fragments, leaving gaps of the complete message for the individual to interpret the message so it applies to their own lives.

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