Defending Postmodern Art

Note: This article is written in the dialogue form made popular by Plato because it covers a broad number of ideas that are challenging to fit into one conventional essay. None of the characters mentioned are real. 

Playton: I hate postmodern art.

Jacques: Why? I think postmodern art can be quite… beautiful.

Playton: I have such contempt for postmodern art because it conveys absolutely no meaning. 

Jacques: Hmm.

Playton: Think about it. What am I supposed to get any meaning out of postmodern art, such as a banana taped to a wall? Or what about those pieces of “art” called Radiant Beasts all over campus right now? What am I supposed to learn or understand from those pieces of colorful balloons?

Jacques: I see your point. But what is the purpose of art in the first place? 

Playton: It’s a medium of communication that is supposed to express a particular message to the world. Oftentimes, art is engineered to appeal to the emotions of the reader or viewer instead of purely using logic. 

Jacques: So do you believe that the author’s original intentions matter?

Playton: Absolutely; the whole purpose of art is to convey a message. 

Jacques: But art is not the most efficient way to convey meaning, no? I mean, if you wanted to really make a message, why not just write an essay on something? Clearly, writing in prose is better for reasoning.

Playton: I don’t think you’re understanding me correctly. Of course, art isn’t logical. But that’s the whole point. It’s a lot more persuasive to use emotions to say something than use logic. I always get moved by poems rather than an essay with a cold tone trying to persuade me.

Jacques: But clearly not every art is there just to convey a message. Isn’t one major part of art appreciation?

Playton: Sure, but I think the “appreciation” part is only there to better persuade the viewer emotionally.

Jacques: What about realist art? Like those paintings with just a great depiction of a landscape. Kind of like Bob Ross’s paintings. I don’t really think those hyperrealistic drawings are trying to persuade me of something. 

Playton: You have a good point, but I’d say that even in those paintings, there is always a hidden message.

Jacques: Like what?

Playton: Perhaps painters decided to paint realistically because they wanted to imply the message that depicting the Truth is important and humans must strive toward it.

Jacques: What do you mean? The Truth? Why is it capitalized?

Playton: I meant the Truth as in coming to a better understanding of reality. 

Jacques: Okay… Let’s get to that later. What if the artist doesn’t really mean any kind of message when painting? Would that still qualify as art for you? Let’s say I’m not trying to say anything. 

Playton: Hmm…  

Jacques: Before we get ahead of ourselves, could you please define postmodern art for me? I want to make sure we’re on the same page. 

Playton: Sure. Postmodern art is a form of art where there is a separation between the artist and the viewer. Most postmodernists claim that the intentions of the artist don’t matter. I don’t think that would qualify as art because there is no message being conveyed.

Jacques: Why do you think postmodernists don’t believe the intentions of the author are important? What I’m trying to get at is what made them believe that there should be a separation between the viewer and the artist. 

Playton: I don’t know. You tell me.

Jacques: First, I think postmodernists begin to reject logocentrism. 

Playton: What even is logocentrism?

Jacques: It’s the idea that whenever something is written, said, drawn, played, sung, or painted, others can understand what it’s meant to say. For example, what if I ask you for a cup of water, I believe you can actually understand what I’m saying.

Playton: Okay.

Jacques: But there are clearly certain limitations to logocentrism. For instance, I could say the quote “Time flies like an arrow.” You could understand that: time (noun) flies (verb) like (introducing a simile) an arrow (noun). But you can also interpret it as: time (imperative verb) flies (noun) like (introducing a simile) an arrow (noun): it’s like you’re ordering someone to time the flies like an arrow. You can even think of it like this: time (adjective) flies (noun) like (verb) an arrow (noun). Do you see how there are limitations to language? This theme is quite prevalent in postmodern art; there is a rejection of the belief that ideas or messages can be sent through mediums like writing or paintings. I think postmodern art tries to demonstrate this by disconnecting the receiver (viewer) from the sender (artist).

Playton: But logocentrism may not be perfect, but it works really well, doesn’t it? I mean, we have stop signs on roads and people get into a lot fewer car accidents because of those.

Jacques: Sure, I’m not arguing that logocentrism doesn’t work. In fact, we’re having a conversation; I wouldn’t be able to even understand you if logocentrism was so flawed. My point is that people often don’t challenge certain limitations of language or art. I think postmodern art is simply pointing out that these mediums of communication, such as art, aren’t perfect.

Playton: That’s a good point. However, why not then still strive for logocentrism instead of rejecting it? I mean logocentrism is good, isn’t it?

Jacques: I agree; we do understand each other through mediums like language and art. But postmodernists want to emphasize its limitations. But I have a second point. You mentioned the Truth before and how it’s the “objective reality” and “how the world “really is.” I think postmodernists reject that idea as well.

Playton: Could you elaborate?

Jacques: Coming to think about it, the postmodern movement’s essential philosophy revolves around the rejection of Truth. Does it exist? What even is it? Can you prove it? These are questions philosophers have been questioning for centuries, and nobody can really agree on a single definition. Postmodernism is a reaction to this inability to agree on the Truth. I mean, Nietzsche puts it very nicely when he says that: “Supposing that Truth is a woman [...] Is there not ground for suspecting that all philosophers, in so far as they have been dogmatists, have failed to understand women?” Postmodernism is a mocking of the failures of philosophers.

Playton: Hmmm. Okay. But I don’t think it’s quite productive at all to completely reject Truth, just like how it’s not useful to reject logocentrism. 

Jacques: I absolutely agree that it’s not productive, but does art even have to be productive? In fact, I somewhat agree with what you said before about the purpose of art. It’s to convey a particular message in an emotional way so that it alters the viewpoints of others or at least makes them question their beliefs. I think postmodern art is doing just that. 

Playton: Doing what?

Jacques: It’s making a grand mockery of conventional philosophical ideas regarding logocentrism and truth by making a radical show of completely trying to cut off any kind of meaning (I mean, a banana taped to a wall doesn’t have much meaning) and making abstract figures (there can’t be much Truth in artwork like Radiant Beasts). 

Playton: Isn’t that a contradiction? You just said art is about conveying a message and then claimed that postmodern art has no meaning.

Jacques: No. It’s precisely that. The meaning of postmodern art is that it has no meaning. It’s only trying to make a fool of the conventional ideas regarding truth and logocentrism. As you can see, I’m not saying Truth, but rather saying truth, without a capital T. Postmodernism is just trying to say that in a much more radical way. 

Playton: You know what? Postmodern art does make sense that postmodern views against Truth and legitimate communication are illustrated in impactful ways. But I still think postmodernist ideas are not great for the advancement of ideas as we have to strive toward a better understanding of Truth, even if it seems hard to attain it. Similarly, as I’ve said before, we should actually make the assumption that logocentrism exists to have a productive society.

Jacques: I quite agree. I’m just claiming that postmodernist art successfully makes the postmodern statement of conveying the message that there is no message. Whether that is a productive thing to do is a different conversation. I may not fully agree with postmodern ideas, but I like how postmodern art makes a parody and mockery of truth and logocentrism.

Ava Zhao / The Exonian via Midjourney

By  JINMIN LEE ‘26