Postmodern Portlandia

Portlandia is a popular television show that in a quirky way gives the viewer a glimpse of the strange city of Portland. One episode in particular explores the subject of post modernist performance art in America. The beginning of the episode shows Carrie, one of the main characters, in an art gallery. As she is admiring one of the pieces she starts talking to another woman who is also viewing the art. The woman reveals that the picture itself is not the art. Instead, she explains that she is the art as an onlooker. As the day progresses Carrie discovers that many other seemingly normal things in her world are in actuality staged performance art projects. For example, while she is walking down the street a thief runs up to Carrie and steals her purse. The thief then turns around and says that her purse is now a part of his art project about theft. This theme continues until the end of the episode when Carrie and a friend are shown on a screen that is the centerpiece of an art exhibit. In the end it is revealed that the whole city of Portland is just one big piece of art.

Although the show is supposed to be funny and mocking art fanatics, it raises a good question, “What is art?” This show strives to convince the viewer that art can be anything. Things that you commonly see from day to day can be taken for granted and turn into something you wouldn't think twice about. However when people are given the chance to look critically at things, an opportunity is create to see deeper and hidden meanings in commonplace objects and events. Art can mean nothing if you choose to see it that way. There is no one true meaning behind art, because a true art piece can be viewed in many different ways.