As the prefix “post” suggests, Postmodernism both succeeds and follows Modernism, revising and redefining what Modernism has meant. While Modernism sought aesthetic purity to be achieved through aspects specific to certain media—the optical for painting, the spatial for sculpture, sonority in music—Postmodernism looked towards the dissonant mixing of media and the generic conditions of subjects and objects, experienced in everyday life.
By bringing together works of high Modernism with examples informed by Postmodernism, The Double Bind: Conversations Between Modernism and Postmodernism demonstrates the inter-relationship of the two, stressing how the succeeding postmodernism comments upon—and perhaps completes—some of the aims of Modernism.
The Double Bind features works from the AGA’s permanent collection that are presented in dialogue with each other. Featuring dynamic pairings of works, such as Barbara Hepworth with Brian Jungen, Arlene Stamp with Kenneth Noland, amongst others, the exhibition calls attention to both the commonalities and marked differences of artistic intent and approach.