Friday, May 18, 2012

Contemporary


Rachel Yeo
Lorena Huang
Diana Huang
Per. 5

Synthesis

Pop Culture is the combination of ideas, perspectives, art, etc of Western culture, predominately the e21st century. It is heavily influenced by mass media and deemed by many to be the mainstream and, therefore, superficial and shallow. Al Yankovic or otherwise known as “Weird Al” has been a predominant musician of the Contemporary Era. His songs are all parodies of pre-existing songs. Many look down on this form of music because they claim that there is no art in simply taking what belongs to others and making a laughing stock out of it.  A form of dance that has risen with pop culture is break-dancing. This is also looked down upon by the older generation and is thought to have no aesthetic value, a dangerous activity that many teens seem to be taking part of.  It is hard for older generations to understand and appreciate much of pop culture because they are used to art forms that solely reflect beauty. Classical music, ballet, lyrical sonnets, and paintings all possess the same quality of a typical flowing beauty. Pop culture, on the other hand, does not. It possesses charm, rather than beauty and a sort of appealing value to certain people. The line of painting of Campbell’s Noodle Soup cans is a key example. This certain line of paintings is one that has been wildly claimed in pop culture. However, many be confused once they see it for they are all just basic plain paintings of soup cans. The beauty that pop culture possesses is not the aesthetic value of the art, but the knowledge that people are free to draw what they want, how they want, and people still finding it acceptable. 

1 comment:

  1. Response
    The music genre during this era has definitely influence this era. Weird Al is a prime example of a artist that uses the influentially of music and put a comedic and ridicule twist on the music. Music has always been the reflection of the emotion and culture during any era. And in the contemporary era, music has shifted to a form of comedy rather than an art form. Followed by the change of music genre, dance styles were changed as well. The break dancing is a very unique and powerful form of dance. The “dangerous activity” as you mentioned shows that break-dancing has a rebellious value and it shows that the gap between the older and the newer generations. The artistic forms of the contemporary era break the norm of formality and add emotion of rebelliousness and its own value of expression. You have captured some of the interesting aspects of culture during this time such as the music, the dances and the paintings on the noodle soup can. There is a definite shift in the aesthetic value to a more expressive and free form.

    Wylie
    Period 6 Team 3
    James,Dylan, Jenny, Amber, Caleb

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