Day 2-96 -- Differences not all bad

Just finished reviewing the final lecture for tomorrow for two different courses. One of them will deal with postmodernism -- revisiting what we'd explored earlier in the term. As I was looking at some slides I'd chosen to show for modernism vs. postmodernism, I noted the repetitive structure of Meisian modernist architecture. The next slide shows buildings like the Guggenheim, the Alberta Museum of Art and the new fronts added to the ROM and the OAG in Toronto.  I hope these visuals will help students 'see' the difference in the two philosophical approaches and then better understand how they inform research inquiry.

Living the the greyness of postmodernism seems much more comfortable to me than the binary world of modernism -- black or white, right or wrong. Instead postmodernism uses words like 'both' or 'and'  to show the openness and plurality of ideas, truths and experiences. I enjoy discussing this with students, and find that art fits so well into the discussion and explanation. Fingers crossed for tomorrow <smile>.  Not everyone will feel comfortable without the staid structure of modernity. That's OK -- those of us in the grey zone understand and accept your difference. If only you were able to accept ours -- but then you wouldn't be different. So, maybe non-acceptance is a good thing here.

In a conversation on an entirely different subject today, the greyness vs. black and white arose. We noted a song from the '60s that described this so well. Seeing my photos on the slides for tomorrow reminded me of the song again. So that is what I will share with you today. It was a protest song that spoke to architectural trends, urban sprawl and suburbia. And yes, it covers off a protest to aspects of modernism, too. <smile> I've chosen a version sung by the songwriter. I will admit that the song itself can grate a bit, just like the phenomena being described.  Enjoy!

Little Boxes --  Malvina Reynolds