Francesca 9/4

The era of postmodernism signifies the ramifications of a distinct progression towards subjectivity in the artistic realm. As our studies have placed emphasis primarily upon the literary dynamic between writer and reader, the issue of subjectivity is applicable to a vast spectrum of creative pursuits as well. Our paradigm of comprehension concerning this topic explicates the lack of valid interpretation both components suffer from within this complex dynamic. Roland Barthes states "The ordinary critic (the one who stops at the first question) and the author are equally remote from a true appreciation of the work" (19). Barthes contends that both writer and reader are unable to genuinely assess a text due to the assumptions entailed to their cognitions. Nevertheless, the salience of subjectivity is evident in such postmodern contentions. We see a stark emphasis placed on the reception of a text as opposed to the intent of its fabrication. Furthermore, there is an analogous dynamic that has been progressively manifested in the visual arts. When analyzing the course of art history, one discerns an evolving lack of concern with traditional form and technique. Such methods were mandatory to employ in the antiquated days of the Paris Salon. Yet, as nineteenth century Realism and Impressionism gave way to the twentieth century's blatant nonconformity, movements such as Surrealism posited questions only one viewing the work could answer. No longer were the visual arts preoccupied with the artist's obedience to traditional values, but now sought to fathom the mechanics of experiential subjectivity. For instance, Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" exemplifies the surrealist objective to depict the unconscious processes of our dreaming states as opposed to upholding definitive standards of form. In summation, both the literary and visual arts substantiate the postmodern assertion that "commentary supplants authority".