Edit: preferably in relation to literature, art and cinema, but a handrail overview of the associated values would be cool too
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Modernism is belief in a meta-narrative, a grand overarching idea that explains everything. Marxism is an example of modernism. It explains politics, economics, culture, society, religion, family-everything. Modernism assumes humanity can be perfected and so progress and utopia are themes in modernist ideologies.
Post-modernism is rejection of the idea that there exists any meta-narrative that can explain everything. Post-modernism embraces the existence of many equally valid narratives and seeks to deconstruct social constructions to understand fundamental truths. Post-modernism rejects a standard concept of progress and rejects the idea of social perfection.
You can see some of the influence of modern and post-modern theory in art, literature, cinema, etc. Marxist art stands out. It is about the worker because Marxism ultimately seeks to create a classless “worker’s paradise” in which workers own the means of production. The murals of Diego Rivera in the Detroit Institute of Arts are great examples of modernist paintings. Modernist architecture also stands out. It is typically very civic-oriented and stripped of fancy ornamentation. Brasilia and the work of Le Corbusier in places like Chandigarth are good examples of modernism as are practically any Soviet buildings. Fascist architects like Albert Speer and Giusseppe Terragni could also be considered modernists. All of these architects sought to create an “International Style” devoid of culturally specific design motifs and instead to focus strictly on building functionality and efficiency.
Post-modern architecture seeks to incorporate traditional aesthetic forms into what would otherwise be modernist architecture. Philip Johnson’s work in the 80s was post-modern. Buildings like the AT&T Building in NYC, which uses a form common in American colonial furniture as a roof is post-modern. The Elephant Tower in Bangkok is another example of post-modern architecture.
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