Activity #11 Periods and Culture

Perilous Night by Jasper Johns was created in 1982 during the Postmodernism period. Postmodernism is used to describe art that have emerged after modernism, and contradicts the purity and form of the modernism. “Initially a tern used to reference architect, postmodernism is characterized by clean lines, geometric shapes, futuristic design, and the placement of items and objects in unusual areas. The Pompidou National Center of Art in which the scaffolds, pipes and tubes are outside of the building, making it appear to be a building under design or turn inside out is representative of this era “ (Getlein, p. 552). Similarly, Johns places objects in the shape of human arms in the right side of the painting Perilous Night that creates intrigue and opens the piece to further interpretation. Downward motion of the arms that are surrounded by multiple square and rectangular shapes makes the viewer wonder what the artist was trying to express.

Jacob Lawrence, Daybreak – A Time to Rest was also produced in the Post-Modern period, however takes on a different form of expressionism. “Expressionism is when the artist’s subjective feelings take over the objective observation” (Getlein, p. 522). “The art piece Daybreak is representative of work produced during the Harlem Renaissance movement where the experiences and tragedies of African Americans in the United States was mixed with the heritage of Africa to produce vibrant pieces filled with geometric symbolism” (Getlein, pp. 534- 535). Whereas, Perilous Night have attributes of surrealism, symbolism, and neo-expressionists.