POST-POSTMODERNISM

-:I NDRANIL SARKAR:-

Post-postmodernism

is the school of thought beyond that of

Postmodernism. Post-postmodernism is a term applied to a wideranging set of developments in critical theory, philosophy, architecture, arts, literature, and culture which are emerging from and reacting to postmodernism. Post-postmodernism demands tempering of reason with faith. (Tom Turner) Meaning:sincere, more earnest, less ironic, less sarcastic than Postmodernism. To David Shield, it is a deliberate unartiness: raw material, seemingly unprocessed, unfiltered, uncensored, unprofessional . . . Randomness, openness to accident and serendipity, spontaneity; artistic risk, emotional urgency and intensity, reader/viewer participation; an overly literal tone, as if a reporter were viewing a strange culture; plasticity of form, pointillism; criticism as autobiography; self-reflexivity, selfethnography, anthropological autobiography; a burring (to the point of invisibility) of any distinction between fiction and nonfiction: the lure and blur of the real. It was Fredric Jameson who for the first time proclaimed the birth of Post-postmodernism in his famous essay "the cultural logic of late capitalism" in 1984 which got authentification on 24th of Sept.2011

Post-postmodernism

is something more authentic, more

with the beginning of an exhibition titled PostmodernismStyle and Subversion 1970-1990 at the Victoria and Albert Museum. He, however, used the term in connection with his study of American Capitalism. If fragmentation was the defining characteristics of Modernism, then intensification and unification are the special features of Post-postmodernism. In contemporary world every cultural activity has an economic facet. Break-up of Russia (defeat of Marxism) has given American Capitalism to tread on each and every human activity unrivalled and as such the age-old Greco-Roman idea of Culture has got a U-Turn. Postpostmodernism has emerged for diagnosing and responding to this changed situation of contemporary life. Another aspect of the matter is faith. Postmodernism taught how to dig out our cultural heritages and create new historicism. Postpostmodernism shows that No art-work has any real (merit) value if it lacks respectful faith and trust in it. The world is bound together by faith, trust, dialogue, performance and sincerity. Mere digging out the cultural heritage or creating new historicism is not all; the findings deserve respect and are expected to be practiced with utmost faith and trust. This is, as a matter of fact the summary of what Tom Turner advocated in 1995.Turner advocated that in art works, the artist/author is to temper reason with faith. [viz. Scientists showing reverence to divine power while propelling a space-shuttle.] Though his idea was specially on urban planning, the arts are its real parameters. Turner held this new-idea as Post-postmodernism.

Postmodernism is dead! :

ancient origin. These arethe idea of specificity, the idea of values and the idea of authenticity. These are at odds with postmodernism. The death of Postmodernism occurred on 24th September, 2011. We can officially and definitively declare that postmodernism died on that date. Finished. But, how can we justify it? On 24th of September, 2011 the Victoria and Albert Museum opened the first comprehensive retrospective in the world titled: PostmodernismStyle and Subversion 1970-1990.And, with this the proclamation of the death of Postmodernism was completed. From that incident onward Market, Communization, and advertisement have become the determining factor of any artwork. These are totally new developments contrary to the fundamentals of postmodernism. To day the greatness of an art-work is determined not only by its aesthetic beauty or uniqueness but also by its market value. A books greatness is acclaimed not by its literary quality or thoughts inherent in it but by its market price. Books are not concerned as the life blood of a thinker any more. Recently auctioned, the first ever printed Book in America in Rs.I.88 crore is a pointer to this. The book has got the status of worlds costliest book, though critics do not find anything special except its antique quality. [The first book printed in the US in 1640, has received the status of the world's most valuable book. The "Bay psalm book" sold for nearly $14.2

The present world is concerned with three ideas (concepts) of

million at an auction in New York on November 26, 2013.It is the translation of Biblical psalms. "The Bay Psalm Book" was printed by Puritan settlers in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640.] And, this is what might be called Post-postmodernism. What had happened in the case of the said book has been happening in almost all cases. But the question is who are doing this? The simple answer is the moneyed people. So, it may be assumed that the evaluation standard has been shifted from the hands of the real Judges to the hands of the Moneyed section or Post-postmodernism is the assertion of supremacy of Market economy over the Arts. Post-postmodernism got a late germination:-

late germinated seed. It grew up simultaneously with the Modernism. Modern; Postmodern; Post-postmodern:

But,

this post postmodernist idea is, in truth, a product of a

absolute structure and finding 'the truth'. Post-Modernism is a critique to modernism. In this structure, there are no laws maintained to define hierarchical culture. Post-modernism asserts that there are no hierarchies and that all points of view are equally valid. Postmodernism is against almost all the tenets of modernism. For example, modernism believes in rational thought while postmodernists believe everything irrational. Modernism places a strong emphasis on science, whereas postmodernists are anti-scientific. Modernists believe that there are

Modernism has its origins in the enlightenment 'rationalism',

universal values and tend to be somewhat optimistic whereas postmodernists believe that only local values have importance. Modernists favour organization; postmodernists believe life chaotic and fragmented. Modernists reflect the values of European or Western thought whereas postmodernists believe in multiculturalism, and Glocalization. Modernists are objective; postmodernists are subjective. Modernists believe that life is purposeful; Postmodernists believe that life is meaningless or that meaning is purely subjective and relative. Modernists believe one can define morality whereas postmodernists believe morality to be relative. Modernists are analytical whereas postmodernists are rhetorical. Modern art is characterized by simplicity, elegance and streamlined design but postmodern art is decorative and elaborate. Modernist philosophy is determined by cause and effect but postmodernists believe in chance. Modernists are linear thinkers; postmodernists are circular thinkers or haphazard thinkers. Modernists believe in permanence; postmodernists believe in transience. Modernists believe that truth is objective; postmodernists believe that truth is relative and socially constructed. Modernists are not very political whereas postmodernists politicize everything. In short, Postmodernism is a rejection of Modernism. Semantically thinking also, the very term postmodern is vague. Modern means something which is existing at present but postmodern means something which exists in future. Thus, if I say I am postmodern it will mean I am dead (Which sounds fantastic).

Post-postmodernism rejects the "flat"- everything is equal point of view of post-modernism but not super structured rationalism like Modernism. It may be called Polyarchy. Polyarchy is a term that was used first when Drummond and Kim were talking on the matter. The post-postmodern takes the "always already" mixed condition of sources, identities, and new works as a given condition, not a question or a problem. Alternative terms for Post-postmodernism:-

Besides Post-postmodernism, the critics are thinking of many

other terms to define the Post-postmodern situation. Trans-modernism:

The Russian-American Slavist Mikhiail Epstein notices that the

last third of the 20th century developed under the sign of "post," which signalled the demise of such concepts of modernity as "truth" and "objectivity," "soul" and "subjectivity," "utopia" and "ideality," "primary origin" and "originality," "sincerity" and "sentimentality." All of these concepts are now being reborn in the form of "trans-subjectivity," "trans-idealism,""trans-utopianism," "trans-originality," "trans-lyricism," "trans-sentimentality" etc. So he asks us to encompass all these new developments under the term Trans-modernism. Post-millennialism:

The term post-millennialism was introduced in 2000 by the

American cultural theorist Eric Gans.

Pseudo-modernism:

In 2006 the British scholar Alan Kirby formulated a sociocultural assessment of post-postmodernism that he called pseudomodernism. Metamodernism:

In

2010 the cultural theorists Timotheus Vermeulen and

Robin van den Akker introduced the term Metamodernism. Metamodernism propagates the 'informed naivety', 'pragmatic idealism' and 'moderate fanaticism' of the various cultural responses to climate change, the financial crisis, and even (geo) political instability along with other factors. However, Post-postmodernism has been getting its stronghold over other similar terms in contemporary Literature. Digi-modernism:

The present age is out and out a Digital world.

Mobile

phones, TV and other audio-Visual devices, Internet have created a new sect. of Intellectuals. Although the digital activities are the innovations of the west, there is practically no human race that is not affected by its all pervasive impacts. At present almost all human activities like food, lifestyle, dress, education, entertainment, medicine and treatment, engineering and architecture, art and painting and even music are encapsulated within digital Medias. It has earlier played a decisive role in enhancing Globalization and presently shaping a new

cultural outlook. The newly emerged groups of thinkers are not concerned about the day to day mundane activities of life. They are concerned about the threats that are looming large to the whole of the humanity and even the galaxy. Their thoughts are centered on global issues where almost all the lives are concerned. As such, a section of thinkers like to call it an age of Digi-modernism. Age of Aestheticism:

Edward

Docx anticipated the death of Postmodernism

and the beginning of a new-one with at least three Postmodern Paradoxes in an exhibition that began at the Victoria and Albert Museum titled PostmodernismStyle and Subversion 1970-1990,on the 24th of September,2011. It was also advertised as the first comprehensive retrospective in the world. Edward Docx found three main ideas of contemporary marketed social structure ---of specificity, of values and of authenticity, were at odds with postmodernism. He felt the situation as the entry to a new age and liked to call it The Age of Aestheticism. Examples of post-postmodernism: No one can ever say that "ghosts don't exist" or Ghosts exist because neither of the statement has been proved. Even in the sixties people talked about whether or not man would ever visit the moon. But it became possible. Nothing is impossible, and nothing is certain either. Similarly, if I say Mars is habitable. It will have to be accepted as correct. Because, nobody can prove the opposite.

Conclusion:-

Though

Post-postmodern is viewed as an economic

phenomenon of capitalism, it has made its presence felt in almost all human activities including arts and crafts. It is seldom late but always just in time. So, echoing Fredric Jameson we can say Postpostmodernism requires an updated conceptual vocabulary for diagnosing and responding to our changed situation. References & Links:i.www.urban dictionary.com ii. www.http://biblioklept.org iii. www.http://www.identitywoman.net iv.www.wikipedia.org v.www.creativecommonse.org NB. Creative Commons attributes were respected while preparing the paper-i.s

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