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Style (and subversion) - The Open College of the Arts

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Style (and subversion)


Saturday saw one of the largest groups of students assembled for a study day yet outside the V&A for the their blockbuster Postmodernism: Style and Subversion show. And show it definitely was. Anyone expecting a white cube and a hushed procession was immediately confronted by the darkness and zig-zag routing through spaces interrupted with reproduction classical columns. The V&A was making a point and not a subtle one. That said, there is a limit to what you can do with an exhibition space and a historical survey – in the end it has to be a linear narrative which starts at the entrance and ends, if not at the exit, then in the gift shop.

If this sounds jaundiced, it shouldn’t. The V&A had assembled a hugely thought provoking and accessible survey of work and while you can easily read Learning from Las Vegas, and its rallying call to take seriously the commercial and commonplace, the space devoted to it immediately conveyed why it was an important influence on post-modern design and architecture in particular.
If the museum provided a context and content, much of the benefit from the study days is surely felt in the opportunity for students to meet each other and OCA tutors and staff, and Peter Haveland (pictured above, by Amano and here by Dorothy) came into his own in the afternoon’s visit to the V&A’s smaller survey of photography in the wake of postmodernism offering a short lecture in front of Richard Prince’s rephotographed Marlboro Man.
Ultimately, from the OCA’s perspective it is difficult to evaluate study days, but the comment from Lerpy that he ‘hadn’t previously understood postmodernism but now realised he had lived through it’ pointed to a sense that it was a worthwhile day.


Posted by author: Genevieve Sioka

6 thoughts on “Style (and subversion)

  • It was another fabulous, and exhausting day. I learned so much; and yet have so much more to read and learn. Peter, I am sorry I missed your mini-lecture. I was up the other side of the room; and it was over before I realised that I should have made my way there.
    Love Lerpy’s comment because I felt exactly the same! Will give further comment once I have got my head round it some more!

    • Sorry you didn’t get a place John. In the event, for a variety of reasons, there would have been room for you to join us. This is something we are looking at for the future – maybe we should act like the airlines and assume a percentage of people will not turn up and overbook!

      • I quite like it when the airline is oversubscribed and they offer me cash as an incentive to travel later, but I suspect that won’t be part of the policy? I wasn’t sure if you wanted my contribution as I wasn’t part of the college consortia; but there it is anyway.

  • I went in early and so came out early and then couldn’t find anyone so I went around the photo exhibit myself, and couldn’t believe anyone would find a seat in the cafe so I gave up and sat outside with a sandwich.
    As an event I felt the other trips were better in terms of networking and tutor interaction, but it was the V&A on a half term weekend, so not unexpected.
    In terms of content it was spectacular. After much reading up on PoMo since this event was announced I’ve formed my own understanding that I will blog in the next few days. I haven’t seen my view expressed elsewhere so I’ll expect to be shot down, but I think it’s valid.

  • I ran out of time and wasn’t able to view the Photographic exhibition last Saturday, and am disappointed that I also missed Peter’s mini-lecture. A return visit is needed to cover the ground that I didn’t manage to cover on Saturday, and to retrace some to ground that I did.
    Whilst I was in the exhibition I unfortunately didn’t manage to hook up with any of the tutor’s, so disappointed not to have benefitted from their insights, but none the less an enjoyable and thought provoking event.

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