After Pop Art, the art world experienced a shift in artistic styles as artists looked to explore new ideas and concepts away from the bright lights of Pop Art. This new era of art was known as Post-Modernism, and it was characterized by its rejection of traditional values and norms. Instead, Post-Modernism sought to create art that had its own unique style and perspective, often combining elements from different historical eras.
Post-Modernist art was often an expression of freedom and experimentation with a variety of mediums. Artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Joseph Beuys embraced this movement, using various materials such as found objects, photography and film to create their works. These works challenged the conventions of what was considered ‘art’ at the time, pushing boundaries and making people rethink traditional definitions.
The movement also encouraged artists to look beyond the traditional canvas or paper format for their work. Installation art became a popular way for artists to express themselves in this period; instead of simply painting on a two dimensional surface, they created large scale interactive installations that could be experienced by viewers on a physical level. Performance art also grew in popularity during this period; artists such as Marina Abramovic explored ideas about endurance, identity and communication through their performances.
This era also saw an increase in conceptual art; works that focused on exploring ideas rather than creating physical pieces or installations. Artworks such as Marcel Duchamp’s infamous ‘Fountain’ (1917) were able to challenge institutionalized definitions about what constitutes ‘art’ by presenting everyday objects as works of art.
As Post-Modernism began to decline in popularity in the 1980s, it paved the way for other movements such as Neo-Expressionism and Neo-Geo which sought to explore more abstract concepts such as emotions, memory and identity in painting and sculpture. These movements have continued to be influential today with a plethora of contemporary artists exploring these same themes through their work.
Conclusion: The Post-Modern era saw a shift away from traditional artistic values towards more experimental forms of artmaking which laid the foundations for many subsequent movements including Neo-Expressionism and Neo-Geo that are still influential today.