Postmodernism is the definition of rebellion against authorities, ideologies. Not to mention the idea of modern progress. It is division rather than wholeness, the unfinished rather than the finished and the relative rather than the absolute. This leads us on to the short story "Nipple Jesus" by Nick Hornby (2000). Nipple Jesus is a postmodernist example of the different personal perspectives, a provocative, modern piece of art can provoke the modern only art world we live in. Certain wondering questions can be pondered when reading this short story. Such as: what is art made of and why? Who gets to decide what is real art and what is not? To sum up briefly what the short story is about, we follow the daily life of our main character Dave, who has been working as a bouncer for an extended period of time, but for the sake of his family he chooses to get a more secure job. - And this is where he starts his new job as a security guard at a gallery, where he is asked to guard this highly controversial painting called “Nipple Jesus”, which he gets a very special and unusual attachment to. It is a painting that appears to be a mosaic of Jesus, but the changeable happens, when you find out that the painting is made out of small pictures with breasts. We can tell that “Nipple Jesus” is a short story, because it has few characters in it and the action takes place over a short period of time. It also starts in media res, and we can see that in the following quote: “They never told me what it was, and they never told me why they might need someone like me. I probably wouldn’t have taken the fucking job (…)” (Nipple Jesus, p. 98). In this quote, which is also the first in the short story, we as readers are thrown into an active action. We do not know who, where and what. However, we get the feeling that it is person with a lot of anger and despair. This also gives an impression of what the short story may be about. Furthermore, the short story is told by a first-person narrator, which is the main character, Dave. We can see this by using e.g., the pronoun "I". When using a first - person narrator, you as a reader get greater access to the person's thoughts and feelings and thus identify the main character better. Moreover, the short story takes place in an art gallery where Dave works. The first things to say about Dave are basic things, such as he is a 38-year-old man and is married to Lisa and has children. Besides he is six foot two, weights 15 stones and is bald and tattooed. (P. 155, ll. 22-24). Second thing to say about Dave is that he is a man with inferiority complexes. For example, he forgets how he looks, and does not feel like he is his body (p. 155, ll. 17-19), which may be a hint that he feels meaningless. Similarly, Dave does not have very high thoughts of himself (P. 157, ll. 3-5). Thirdly, Dave is a postmodern character because he gets involved in Martha's provocative religious artwork "Nipple Jesus". At first, he likes the art, until he finds out that it is made of female breasts and afterwards hates it. Nevertheless, when he gets to know the artist, Martha, he suddenly seems to change his mind, and start to like the art again, because he now sees a different perspective on the work of art. Which leads us on to Martha, who seems to be a woman who loves to challenge postmodernism and provoke this. As a result, she created her artwork "Nipple Jesus", which, from its own interpretations, is a piece of art that provokes themes like religion, blasphemy and provocation. because it is Jesus who is adorned with breasts. It can be a provocation for those who are very religious. Blasphemy because it is to ridicule deities, doctrines of faith and other considerations of religious belief. It is the cultural patterns that are put at stake. But, however, it seems that in the other hand, Martha's intentions with the artwork were not that it was the "Nipple Jesus" itself that should be the major focal point. She knew it was a provocative art, and it was with this intention that she would create the art based on the reaction people would have to it. Out of anger from shocked spectators, the painting is thrown eggs at and someone who has torn the painting up and destroyed it. Martha gets happy, as that was the whole point behind it. A camera was set up and has thus filmed the vandalism the image received. All she wanted was for someone to smash the artwork so she could make a movie out of it. And it is here that Martha would become an artist, It is also here that postmodernism finds expression. Postmodernity is what the short story's message is: division rather than wholeness. Lastly, lines 14-36 p. 163 are interesting to analyze, as here we can sense the author's style of writing. It can be seen that rhetorical devices have been used, so that it has an effect on the reader while reading. The rhetorical devices in this case, make us readers reflect and persuade us, and make us see the message clearly. To begin with, these selected lines are written in an informal language. This is seen for example in the following quote, where it is an everyday language, which is also quite intimidating. Note words like "Pissed" and "Bollocks (P. 163 ll. 15-20). Furthermore, contractions are used for personal pronouns such as” they’re” (P. 63 ll. 19) and auxiliary verbs such as “don’t” and "isn't" (P. 163, ll. 18-21. Which is also a feature of informal language. A tool in the field of rhetoric is also the negative wording: “” Fucking hell,” (…) - “What?” - “Look at him”” (P. 163, ll. 24-26). The quote is chosen because Dave is spoken down to by condescending words like "Fucking Hell" and afterwards laughs at him. In addition, use is made of comparisons and imagery. It makes the reader understand what the narrator really feels and means, and we can better understand the situation because the language is indicated in a figurative sense (P. 163, ll. 27-29). He compares himself to an exhibition, so that we as recipients more easily understand that perhaps he feels like a "fly on the wall". He monitors everything and everyone, which also fits in well with his job, which is precisely to be vigilant and monitor. "Nipple Jesus" discusses postmodernism. Martha's artwork touches on culture, religion and blasphemy. It is up to the individual how they want to interpret the work. The artwork is also up for discussion, because the image represents Jesus, no matter what it is made of, but must it be destroyed because it is a kind of pornography? Although it was not Martha's intention that the work of art should have a profound meaning, it is also worth considering whether it is forgivable to make such an art, when one's intention was still to provoke others, so that it was only to one's own advantage. To answer the question of the modern postmodernist society of provocative art, art is not limited. It is division rather than wholeness and the idea of modern progress. As Martha herself says: “Art is about provocation Getting a reaction from people. And I’ve done it. I’m an artist”.
Det er gratis at oprette en konto