What on earth is postmodernism?

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What on earth is postmodernism?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

I can only really speak in the context of architecture, although modernism and postmodernism apply to much more diverse fields. Modernism was/is a school of styles that avoided non-functional ornamentation, and brings to the fore only the elements that are intrinsic to the design. That might mean celebrating concrete with Brutalism, or uninterrupted glass in Internationalism. Modernist items can definitely be beautiful, but they are not ornate.

Postmodernism is a rejection of that aesthetic, bringing back the ornaments of previous architectural eras but in new ways. You might see a grossly oversized pediment taken from Neoclassicism (see the work of Robert Venturi), or Beaux Arts windows and a massive cupola, or completely free forms.

The point is to include features because you want to, and you believe they add some aesthetic value, but also to use modern materials and techniques so as not to simply pastiche an earlier style.

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