Kerry's Wednesday Challenge ~ Pastiche

pastiche [pa-steesh, pah-]
noun
1. a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources.
2. an incongruous combination of materials, forms, motifs, etc. taken from different sources; hodgepodge.

See also the Merriam-Webster.com definition for an exhaustive set of synonyms.

Kate Moss Muse by Banksy
Read more on this pastiche style HERE

Pastiche in art, music and literature is a form of imitation, which remains respectful (if ironically so) of the original source. Alternatively, it is a creative design made up of several disparate elements, also known as a hodgepodge. I'm sure we are all familiar with the artwork and photography of Ellen Wilson, who often uses pastiche in her imagery.

© Ellen Wilson

Ella's Edge

Pastiche is prominent in popular culture. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen is unusual as it is a pastiche in both senses of the word, as there are many distinct styles imitated in the song, all 'hodgepodged' together to create one piece of music. Many genre writings, particularly in fantasy, are essentially pastiches. The Star Wars series of films by George Lucas is often considered to be a pastiche of traditional science fiction television serials (or radio shows). The fact that Lucas's films have been influential in spawning their own pastiches can be regarded as a function of postmodernity. To read more about the role of pastiche in the creative arts, read the full page on Wikipedia. For an interesting discussion of a pastiche designed by Verne McDonald which depicts the Beatles as characters of da Vinci's The Last Supper, click HERE.

Sappho poetry fragment

The American poet, Reginald Shepherd, explains in his anthology Lyric Postmodernism that none of the techniques of contemporary poetry are new. “[S]yntactical fracture or deformation, quotation, pastiche, collage, montage, cinematic jump-cuts, polyvocality or multiplication of voices, irony, parody, the mingling of kinds of diction and discourse ... and juxtaposition instead of narrative or extended meditation” can all be found in the work of the high modernists. Source

I leave the interpretation and implementation of the idea of pastiche entirely up to each person who would like to participate in this challenge. Be innovative and open-minded in your approach. Remember that our links do not expire, so work that is posted later in the week will still be visited by other participants.