Modernism in which form follows function and was standardized and unified was blindly followed by all designers, but problems began to arise with modernist ideas
Modernism is associated with the experimental, innovation, individualism, progressiveness, purity, originality and seriousness
A failing of Modernism is that individuals were leading the world forwards
Post modernism is the direct opposite of these ideas, post modernism questions, what is the point of experimenting? nothing is new, why be individual? when teams can work better together, Innovation? we can’t save the world so why try, Purity? post modernism blends styles and influences together and seriousness is contrasted by element of humor found in post modern work
A Post Modern condition - Exhaustion, Pluralism, the mixing of sources and pessimism, the new has not saved the world
Disillusionment with absolute knowledge occurred
Modernism was an expression of technology and communication where as post modernism is a reaction to the conditions of modernism which are sometimes negative
Modernism is said to have ended in 1960’s although not all agree, some argue modernism is still happening
‘Homage to New York’ was a large machine made from pieces of junk and scrap machines, it moved and made noise with the ultimate aims of blowing up, this piece was created to symbol the fact there is no more art, the machine was created to demonstrate a view against art and that technology is flawed, a machine is made but to ultimately break, technology is not saving us, this is also an example of a negative piece of work towards progressiveness an ethos of Modernism
Origins of Post Modernism - 1917 ‘Nihilistic, amoral post modern men’, 1964 New culture against high culture of modern art
Timeline of post modernism - 60’s the beginning, 70’s established term, 80’s recognizable style, 90’s dominant theoretical discourse, today tired and simmering
Uses of post modernism - the era following modernism, contra (attack against modernism), equivalent to capitalism, artistic and stylistic eclecticism (post modern as a term to describe a particular style of art)
Some question how we can live in a time after modernism?
Global village phenomenon, global race, no individuals
Charles Jencks said post modernism began on 15th July 1972 3.32pm, in which the demolition of a modernist social housing block - an example of design to save the world failing
Modernist social housing became like slums, they were filled with the underclass, the boring aesthetic led to vandalism and the demolition of this type of building symbolises the start of post modernism
Flaws of Modernism - reduces the human, architecture controls humans and life, one style of architecture for the whole world
Post modernism - questions convention and aims of modernism and how in modernism the work became more important than the people
Question why follow the rule of ‘form follows function’
Architects were the first people to begin to discuss and consider post modernism
The only rule post modernism has is that there are no rules
Parkhill Flats, Sheffield - Innovative and popular at the time of development, but now looks grim and is hated by locals and residents, a soulless and awful place to live. In the 20th century everyone acknowledged that is was bad, people living in ti wanted it demolished, however the government gave the building a listed status as it was an important piece of historical architecture. ‘Urban Splash’ was an initiative to redevelop and improve Parkhill Flats
Modernism ignored human needs, design principles came before human needs
Humanization of Modernism - Add colour and soul to buildings, the city should be a element of play
Guggenheim Museum - Truth to materials in it’s construction but also is covered in Zinc creating a lie
James Stirling - Created buildings which looked like they were falling apart when it was new
Post modernism is an exploration into doing things the opposite way to modernism
Quintan Terry - His reacted to modernism in a much more conservative way
Meta-narrative - Totaling belief system
Modernism as a meta-narrative which resulted in a crisis in confidence
High and low art divide begins to crumble
Paris > New York > Las Vegas, became the post modernist city, a freedom to let styles clash with each other, was seen as a liberation
Postmodernism is a dystopia, the opposite to utopia
Andy Warhol - Didn’t attempt to create a portrait of Marylyn Monroe, it was not art, it was a meditation in how society created influence and the flaws in technology
Jackson Pollock - Truth to materials and trying to do something new
Andy Warhol, Oxidation painting - Urine used to rust copper painting onto a canvas direct attack on the work of Jackson Pollock
‘Artist’s Shit’ the artist canned his own feces, signed the can like an artist and sold the work for a very expensive price, the artist is suggesting that art is ‘shit’ there is no possible way to have a good experience from this piece of work.
Advertising now seen as the greatest form of art in the 20th century
Mix of high brow with the popular, post modern art became more accessible as it sampled elements from different styles and eras
Postmodernism - a vague and disputed term, critical and questioning of modernism, multiplicity of styles and approaches, shift in thought and theory investigation and allowed space for new voices
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