For this task I am to take the words Parody and Pastiche into mind and read Fredric Jameson concept of 'pastiche' and a text from Linda Hutcheons Parody.
I will also read commentaries for both texts so I have a better understanding.
By doing this I will be able to write a definition on parody and pastiche taking into account both authors explanation into these two ideas.
Jameson's text talks about how 'pastiche' has become the new 'parody'. He tries to get the idea across that modernist styles have now and are still becoming modernist codes.
Pastiche is where authors of any type of work imitate a previous style.. and by doing this we take something that was once a modern style and turn it into something that is classed as post modernistic.
Jameson talks about how this is when we loose out connection to history, because history is being turned into a set or series of styles and things we suspect will happen if we put it into our own words. We can no longer understand events in history or era's in the past apart from what we get from texts. All we can understand and become used to are styles and codes ready for changing or commodification.
Jameson relates pastiche to postmodernism in several ways. The first being postmodern architecture, the architects of today that have used styles and ideas from architecture in the past.
Secondly was the subject and idea of nostalgic films that paint the past and historic events but create it and cover it with a glossy fresh image, how Jameson says replaces 'real' history with fake or aesthetic styles.
Thirdly, post modern historic novels can hardly represent the past but instead only has the ability to give ideas and stereotypes about the past until this style of historic portray becomes some sort of 'pop history'.
This is how different types of media was used to explain how the pastiche works. How we constantly turn modern facts and historic events into postmodern styles and codes ready to be folded into the present day image.
Jamesons tone of voice in his text was quite conversational and informative whilst formal at the same time. Using explanatory English which gave the formal vibe of this description into the connection between history, media and pastiche.
Below are quotes from Jameson's text which I found useful into helping me understand how he used and explained the pastiche.
I could now read the text written by Linda Hutcheon.
Hutcheon talks about post modernism being a contradictory enterprise and how artists self consciously point their own findings, realisations and work to art work in the past.
She also states that post modernism signals it's contradictory dependence and independence from the ideas that claim to be modernistic that have now passed. Basically Hutcheon wants to get the idea across that postmodernism is just a contradictory of modernism.
Hutcheon uses media as an example to describe this, "even the most self-conscious and parodic of contemporary works do not try to escape, but indeed foreground, the historical, social, ideological contexts in which they have existed and continue to exist. This is as true of music as of painting; it is as valid for literature as it is for architecture".
Hutcheon talks about post modernism being a contradictory enterprise and how artists self consciously point their own findings, realisations and work to art work in the past.
She also states that post modernism signals it's contradictory dependence and independence from the ideas that claim to be modernistic that have now passed. Basically Hutcheon wants to get the idea across that postmodernism is just a contradictory of modernism.
Hutcheon uses media as an example to describe this, "even the most self-conscious and parodic of contemporary works do not try to escape, but indeed foreground, the historical, social, ideological contexts in which they have existed and continue to exist. This is as true of music as of painting; it is as valid for literature as it is for architecture".
So after reading the text it is clear that there is a theme of postmodernism being an overall contradiction of life and past art.
I then read the introduction into this text so I can understand what Hutcheon is saying in her own words.
A main feature that distinguishes post modernism from modernism is that it takes the form of self consciousness, self contradictory and self undermining statements.
Hutcheon says how by using irony and installing parody shows how present examples or representations link to past ones.
After reading this the final point of summary is that post modernism is just a lesser history filled quotation of past forms.
Hutcheon relates parody to post modernism by saying describing how post modern art is just a contradictory to past modern styles.
Hutcheon's tone of voice seems much more argumentative that Jameson's, in a way that the author is trying to really get her view cross into the readers mind. So in a way the explanation and description comes across much more forceful yet informal at the same time because I feel more at one with the author.
I then read the introduction into this text so I can understand what Hutcheon is saying in her own words.
A main feature that distinguishes post modernism from modernism is that it takes the form of self consciousness, self contradictory and self undermining statements.
Hutcheon says how by using irony and installing parody shows how present examples or representations link to past ones.
After reading this the final point of summary is that post modernism is just a lesser history filled quotation of past forms.
Hutcheon relates parody to post modernism by saying describing how post modern art is just a contradictory to past modern styles.
Hutcheon's tone of voice seems much more argumentative that Jameson's, in a way that the author is trying to really get her view cross into the readers mind. So in a way the explanation and description comes across much more forceful yet informal at the same time because I feel more at one with the author.
Below are a fe quotes which were useful in helping me to put together this explanation.
