Art in a postmodern era

Some people need to understand what they are doing and why. I am probably one of them. I also need to understand the world around me. But that is not always easy.

Illuminations and imaginary worlds
Before my late teens, I did not think much about the meaning of life. Everything just flowed along. But then, at one point, I got my hands on a book that, for a while, almost attained religious status. The book was called Illuminations, a collection of poems by the French poet Jean Arthur Rimbaud. It had been translated into Swedish by Helmer Lång and illustrated with imaginative artwork by the Skåne artist Max Walter Svanberg.

Rimbaud’s poetry was like a drug, an intoxicating escape from reality into imaginary worlds. And Max Walter Svanberg’s surrealistic images triggered my imagination. I bought paints and began to write, draw, and paint myself.

At the same time, I developed an interest in all art. Until the age of 23, I spent a lot of time painting, drawing, writing, visiting galleries, art halls, concerts, libraries, and more, as well as engaging in constant discussions about art, philosophy, and politics with friends, and sometimes non-friends.

Then, when I was 23, something happened that I had not expected at all. Like many other young people at that time, I had become interested in different worldviews. But Christianity felt somehow passé; I had grown up with it and there was probably nothing more to be gained from it. Confucius was interesting, and Herman Hesse’s book about Siddhartha sparked an interest in Buddhism. Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialism brought the meaning of life into sharp focus, and Che Guevara’s struggle for freedom was challenging. But Jesus, that Sunday school saint who carried little lambs on his shoulders—no, what did he have to offer?

Conversion
My conversion was extremely undramatic. I woke up one morning and found that I was a believer, probably a Christian. It didn’t feel wrong, but I was worried about what my socialist friends would say. Something had happened the night before. I had been sitting, all alone in my room. I had been reasoning with myself about what was really true. In this argument, an insight, a conviction, had landed in my heart. Jesus was the Son of God, just as the Bible said. And he was a greater revolutionary than Che Guevara. He was not content with changing the external forms of society. He wanted to change the root cause of all evil and injustice—to transform the human heart. And he had been prepared to die for his conviction. I said to myself: I want to follow him.

In connection with this newfound insight, I also opened my eyes to the Bible, this collection of books dating back thousands of years that has historically influenced the Western world more than any other writing. I had heard people talk about the Bible as a “living” book. Now I began to understand what they meant.

Several years have passed since then. One advantage of getting older is that you gain a certain distance from life and all the trends in society. I would like to take this opportunity to share some thoughts that form the basis of my work in the arts. An activity that in my mind has been an ongoing flow through life, but in practical terms has been more of a staccato, a sporadic painting and writing in the breaks that have arisen between necessary work and family matters.

Modernism, postmodernism, and Christian faith
Not everything I do in what I call artistic activity is so deeply thought out. Sometimes the pen or brushes just want to play, skip and dance. That’s how it has to be. Love is the most perplexing thing in life. Often, seemingly so irrational, yet so necessary. Love for life, art, friends, family, your life partner and God.

But even though much of life is a game, there is also a great need for reflection and thoughtfulness. What is sometimes called analysis. As someone once said: “You don’t necessarily become wiser as the years go by, but you have the chance.”

Three areas in particular interest me: modernism, postmodernism, and Christian faith. These are three paradigms that have shaped Western society and culture, and three gods. (1) Much of my art moves in the tension between these three great forces. In the middle of this tension is me as an individual. Who am I and why am I here? Identity and meaning. These are questions that everyone, more or less consciously, grapples with throughout life.

The Bible
The Bible, the world’s most printed and read book, was influential in the Western world until the Enlightenment in the 18th century, sometimes with elements from Greek religious philosophy. The Christian faith, with its roots in Judaism, has at times been politicized and in the hands of various power constellations. But thanks to the Bible, these constellations have been constantly scrutinized, leading to conflicts but also to changes. And so it is today. Christian faith without the Bible is like a body without a skeleton. It collapses into a shapeless mass and subjective opinions on various issues.

The modern project and postmodernity
Postmodernity is usually seen as a reaction to the modern project or modernity, which has its roots in the dreams of the future from the Enlightenment in the 18th century and beyond. Through the advances made in the natural sciences, people began to see major positive changes in society. Practical applications of the advances in modern science have given humanity increased material prosperity and helped to combat many diseases and other evils. At the beginning of this era, many people imagined that modern science would solve all problems, both on the physical and metaphysical planes. New areas of scientific research were opened up. Not only in the natural sciences, but in all areas. Society, the psyche, religion, indeed everything was to be researched, analyzed, and mapped. And so a new, beautiful world, based entirely on human ability and human reason, would emerge.

The collapse of the modern project
The modern project eventually proved unable to live up to the expectations placed on it. The belief in science’s ability to understand and control the universe and humanity has collapsed in many ways. Today, people talk about the success and development trap. (2) In his thought-provoking book “What is Truth,” author Sven Reichmann argues that more and more people today see the modern project as an outdated 19th-century paradigm. There is no conflict between faith and knowledge. The belief in the ability of human reason to encompass all knowledge is an unreasonable idea. What we do not know can always force us to reevaluate what we thought we knew—when it comes to light. The great Achilles heel of science is and remains the fact that we can never know what it is that we do not know. (3) And in “The Illusion of Science,” researcher Peter Stenumgaard points out how flawed science is in many respects. Even the scientific methodology that was previously held in high regard is now subject to sharp criticism from science theorists. They argue that there is no scientific basis for claiming that “scientific” truth is more true than any other truth. And much scientific truth has clear signs of a best-before date. (4)

Another book, “Lyckliga i alla sina dagar” (Happy Ever After) by Nina Björk, commendably shows how man’s constant pursuit of success tends to be his downfall. And how human life is reduced to an object of profit. (5)

Culture in postmodern society
Postmodernism, a cultural expression derived from postmodernity, views everything with skepticism. Truth is relative; one must view everything with a critical eye. The great meta-narratives, Christianity and the modern project with its comprehensive answers, cannot be trusted. In postmodern society, religion, which was banned during modernism, has made a comeback. Not as Truth with a capital T, but as fragments, a multitude of different truths. You choose what you want as long as it feels comfortable. And you tailor it to suit yourself and your needs. Religion is more or less acceptable as long as you are a seeker. But those who believe they have found the truth are viewed with great scepticism. According to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, all claims to possess the truth are expressions of a power game. Except his own claims, of course.

Artistic creation in postmodern society can express itself in any way it wants. The demands of previous eras for uniform standards of assessment no longer exist. There are no limitations, no overarching guidelines, no standards of assessment, no striving for unity or context. Everything becomes individual projects based on subjective thoughts and feelings. That is not to say that there is no good art, art that is well made and that touches us, if that is what we mean by good art. But art in the postmodern paradigm is often a metaphysical cramp, a desperate attempt to be authentic in a world where the absence of meaning is the very breath of life. Sometimes art expresses a struggle for justice. But what is justice in a society where value nihilism has transformed concepts such as right and wrong into emotional subjective values? Not infrequently, art is also linked to commercial interests, but this has always been the case and is not unique to postmodernism.

No one would claim that Sweden is a thoroughly postmodern society. The modern project still lives on in some circles, even if it no longer has the same vitality as before. Christian faith and many cultural expressions that have come through increased immigration also break with postmodernism.

What is truth?
”Jesus answered, ’I was born and came into the world for this one purpose: to testify to the truth. Pilate said to him, ’What is truth?

There is a great tension between the absolute values of the Bible and the more nihilistic values of postmodernism. Here I want to analyze and discuss. Our democratic society, with its freedom of opinion and expression, gives us the space to do so. We do not reprimand and convince each other with sticks and guns. We use free speech and art to convey our opinions. And none of us owns the Truth. But if we seek it, perhaps the Truth will eventually own us.

Genesis, “beginning,” is the Greek name for the first book of the Bible. It begins with the well-known words: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” If these words are true, they are incredibly revolutionary in our time, even for art. They say that there is someone outside the universe who created the universe we live in. If so, perhaps there is a purpose to it all, yes, a meaning. Perhaps we are not here by chance.

In my opinion, artistic creation is a consequence of the fact that we humans are created in God’s image. God is the creator and we are born to create. We cannot help ourselves.

Tommy Lindén

(1) Science is the new god in modern society. But in postmodern society, it is the “self” that is god.

(2) Surviving Progress American documentary from 2011 by Mathiu Roy and Harold Crook. Original title: Surviving Progress. (SVT 2013-12-03)

(3) Vad är sanning? (What is Truth) by Sven Reichmann)

(4) Illusionen om vetenskapen “The Illusion of Science) by Peter Stenumgaard)

(5) Lyckliga i alla sina dagar (Happy Ever After) by Nina Björk

The above books are available in bookstores and libraries or can be borrowed as e-books at www.elib.se)

(This text is translated from Swedish to English using DeepL. If you find any serious errors, please let me know and I will correct them. Thank you. tommylindensweden@gmail.com)