Metamodernism Theory: Oscillation Revisited

This is a very lightly edited transcription of a presentation I recently gave at the Melbourne Metamodernism Conference, February 2–3, 2023.

Hello —

This will be a speculative and theoretical talk about oscillation. The ideas I’m sharing are a work in progress, so I’m equally happy whether you disagree with me or agree with me. Mainly I want to provoke a fresh and somewhat nuanced look at a term that is very much tied to the term “metamodern.” My talk is roughly broken into 2 parts. First I will situate oscillation in my understanding of the general phenomenon of metamodernism, and then I will propose some distinctions about what I see as different types of metamodern oscillation (or types of dynamics between modernist and postmodernist aesthetic dualities), and provide some examples from art and popular culture. …

Continue reading on Medium >>>

Newer/Older Post
In an email exchange with an art-and-culture critic friend prior to the film’s release, I shared the prediction, “I think…
The Great, a 2020-21 production (Tony McNamara, Hulu), metamodernizes the storied myth-history of 18th century German-Prussian teenager Princess Sophie of…