Modernist Vs. Postmodernist Artists
PAPER 2: Modernist vs postmodernist artists
Rough draft due: Monday, April 19
Final version DUE: Wednesday, May 12
3-5pages, double-spaced, 12pt (minimum 1000 words)
Consider the following films:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/me_and_you_and_everyone_we_know
（Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July, 2005)
Paterson (Jim Jarmusch, 2016)：https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/paterson
These two films offer portraits of two artists who approach their craft very differently: one could be consider modernist, and the other postmodern–which is which? How and why?
To get you started (and give you a BIG clue to the answer of the question), you might find these reviews helpful:
Me and You and Everyone We Know: The Postmodern Happiness of the Contemporary Art Film：
https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2006/on-recent-films/me_you_everyone/
Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson and the Myth of the Solitary Artis：
In considering the question above, address the following:
1. Who does Christine represent, the modernist artist or the postmodern artist? Describe how.
2. Assuming Paterson represents the other kind of artist, describe how.
3. What do you consider the major differences between a modernist artist and a postmodern artist? (You may find Greenberg’s essay from class useful with this topic.)
4. How do these differences manifest themselves in the differences between modernist art and postmodern art? Use examples from class to illustrate your points.
5. How do the aims of modernism and postmodernism differ? How are they similar?
6. What relevance do you see for modernism and/or postmodernism in today’s society?
7. If you are an artist, would you consider yourself modernist or postmodernist? If you are not an artist, do you have a preference between modernist art and postmodern art? Why?
Feel free to use any outside sources that are helpful to you, BUT YOU MUST CITE THEM.
