Andy Grundberg's Crisis of the Real

1.What is postmodernism? 
Andy Grundberg's writing Crisis of the Real I believe when he talks about postmodernism there is multiple definitions. The word postmodernism has many different meanings in different artistic medias. For example, in the field of architecture, postmodernism meant "eclecticism, the use of stylistic flourishes and decorative ornament with a kind of carefree, slapdash, and ultimately value free abandon" (165). In dance, it was "an attempt to throw off the heroicism and expressionism of modernist dance by making dance more vernacular" (165).  In art, postmodernism means "an attack on modernism, an undercutting of its basic assumptions about the role of the art in the culture and about the role of the artist in relation to his or her art" (166). Therefore, trying to make one final definition from all of these cultures into account would be difficult, but if I had to it would be something around this: postmodernism- to do something different than the norm, being free to do whatever the artist pleases, and making the people think about the art you are creating, not just telling the whole story with the photo, let the viewer try to figure out what it means. 

2. How does postmodernism relate to, and challenge, the tradition of photographic practice?
Postmodernism is all about capturing out of the norm objects. Therefore, it challenges traditional photographic practice. Traditional was all about everything staged and able to retake the photo if necessary. However, with postmodernism it was about taking the photos that weren't staged. The ones that showed how people really were, not just how they want everyone to see them. Postmodern photography wouldn't be able to be restage the exact photo, but maybe a look alike. And because photographers wouldn't have a set style with postmodernism then the photographers wouldn't be able to put their signature, or style, on the photograph. However, with postmodern it challenged the thought of traditional photography because traditional photography practices were all about being doing their own thing, but still being within certain norms. But with postmodernism, photographers could take pictures of pictures and be unique in that way, it took ideas from before and expanded on it if not just copied it. Plus with traditional photography people just take the snapshots of things they like and then go on their way. But with postmodernism they went outside the box and took photos of things they liked and things that others wouldn't like as well, just to push the limits and do things outside of the norm.