Akshay Chalana

Ms. Pike
Postmodern Literature
16 September 2014
Extreme Self-Reflexivity and Famous Sculpture
The goal of extreme self-reflexivity is to add an additional layer to artistic expression which has
the goal of providing an inherent identity as a form of classification to the piece itself. In literature, this
can be manifested through the realization of a character of their fictional existence, or even simply the
discussion of the identity of the medium by the author. In art, the same can be achieved (as done by
Roy Lichtensteins Masterpiece). However, the domain which concerns Famous Sculpture is that of
architecture and its associated three-dimensional art forms, where self-reflexivity is achieved both
through deviance from traditional shaping guidelines and attempts at recognition of all facets of a
buildings form. A large influence for Famous Sculpture is the default example of self-reflexive
architecture, Frank Gehrys collaboration with Vlado Milunid, the Nationale-Nederlanden building in
Prague, also known as the Dancing House or Fred and Ginger. Attempting to replicate a couple dancing,
it has extremely innovative curves and lines that are rarely found in architecture. However, the further
self-reflexive guideline that it follows is the unusual visibility of such internal structures as pipes,
support beams, [and] building materials. While, of course, the format of Famous Sculpture as a digital
structure prevents the use of this, but its clear violation of the established axes supports its intention of
emphasizing its existence solely as a sculpture. This is, in turn, achieved by its lack of form as any sort of
object with any sort of meaning. Its sole existence, affirmed by the inclusion of its name atop it, is as a
sculpture, an identity with which it purely identifies and is associated. This title further serves to achieve
that which is by Masterpiece and the Most Photographed Barn in America referenced in White Noise:
that the definition of an object defines it beyond any sort of characteristic or value. Of course, this isnt
to say that the form of Famous Sculpture means nothing to me. An attempt at demonstration of
inwards collapse is meant to reflect introspection of the inanimate object which Famous Sculpture is,
while representing the sort of collapse of separation and reputation from the point of an un-self-
reflexive art piece. Perhaps it could be said in the end that the intention of this piece is to define post-
modernism as a self-defined concept which can be applied to any system or object.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpiece_(Roy_Lichtenstein)
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Postmodernism
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/postmodernism/modules/introduction.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_House