Browsing by Author "Vermaak, Janet"

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    Metamodernisme en kuns : diepte, affek en betrokkenheid in Vlakwater (2015) deur Ingrid Winterbach en De consequenties (2014) deur Nina Weijers
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Vermaak, Janet; Schaffer, Alfred; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans and Dutch.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The relevance of postmodernism and the ideas of poststructuralist thinkers have been brought into question since as early as the ninteties, and today many theoreticians attempt to name the structure of feeling that comes after postmodernism. Thomas Vaessens (2009) notices a tendency in contemporary literature to criticise postmodernism, without diverting from postmodern ways of thinking. He refers to this critique on postmodernism from within postmodern structures, as “late postmodernism”. Vermeulen and Van den Akker (2017) use the term “metamodernism” to describe a contemporary structure of feeling oscillating between a typically modern engagement and a characteristically postmodern indifference, between irony and sincerity, belief and scepticism, a continual unsuccessful negotiation between different poles. This thesis is a comparative study of Vlakwater (2015) by Ingrid Winterbach and De consequenties (2014) by Niña Weijers, two novels that can both be described as “late postmodern”, since the inadequacies of postmodernism are exposed from within postmodern thought structures. In both novels, a “metamodern” structure of feeling is made manifest by a renewed yearning for the stability of depth structures, an affective turn and a desire for meaningful relationships with the other, and a revived interest in engaged art. Both novels reflect on the role of art after postmodernism and on the relationship between art and life, ethics and aesthetics, autonomy and engagement. Firstly, the metamodern reconsideration of postmodern depthlessness is discussed. Vermeulen (2015) states that depth structures are once again sought after in metamodern art, but that this metamodern depth can be described as a simulation of depth, or a performative revaluation of depth. Secondly, subjectivity and relationality are examined as important aspects of the affective turn in metamodern art. This metamodern modality of affect is characterised by an (affected) sensitivity towards the self and the other, which leads to a relational understanding of identity. The fact that the main characters in both novels are artists, invites contemplation on the nature of art and literature. The poetical statements made in the two novels illustrate the influence of the metamodern structure of feeling on the aesthetic views of the artist-characters, and important questions are raised regarding the role of art in a metamodern society. Although metamodernism takes on different forms in the two novels, both Vlakwater and De consequenties demonstrate that postmodern theories and techniques are no longer relevant for expressing contemporary experiences.