Postmodernism
Overview
Postmodernism is a broad movement that developed in the mid- to late-20th century across philosophy, the arts, architecture, and criticism, marking a departure from modernism. The term has been more generally applied to describe a historical era said to follow after modernity and the tendencies of this era.
Philosophy
Postmodern philosophy is characterized by skepticism toward meta-narratives and ideologies of universalism, emphasizing the role of language, power relations, and motivations. It argues that knowledge and truth are products of unique systems of social, historical, or political discourse and interpretation, and are therefore contextual and constructed.
Jean-François Lyotard, a French philosopher, sociologist, and literary theorist, is often credited with being the first to use the term postmodern in its contemporary sense. In his seminal work, The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, Lyotard critiques the status of science and technology, art, and the performativity criterion, which he describes as the dominant criterion of the technosciences.
Art
In the arts, postmodernism was initially a reaction against the perceived elitism and perceived obsession with 'high art' of the modernist movement. It championed the idea of 'low art' and challenged the distinction between 'high' and 'low' forms of art. Postmodern art drew on philosophy of the mid to late twentieth century, and advocated that individual experience and interpretation of our experience was more concrete than abstract principles.
Artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Yoko Ono, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein are associated with the movement. They used a variety of materials, methods, concepts, and subjects to challenge existing notions of what art is and how it should be made.
Architecture
Postmodern architecture emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the perceived shortcomings of modern architecture, particularly its rigid doctrines, its uniformity, its lack of ornament, and its habit of ignoring the local context for buildings. Postmodern architecture reintroduced color, variety, and humor into architectural design.
Architects like Robert Venturi, Michael Graves, Philip Johnson, and Charles Moore were among the pioneers of this movement. They rejected the austerity and lack of variety of modern architecture and championed a more symbolic, eclectic style, often referencing earlier architectural styles and popular culture.
Criticism
Postmodernism has been a target of criticism from various sources. Prominent issues in the criticisms include the belief that postmodernism lacks of a moral and political center, and that its criticisms of science, its emphasis on 'discourse' and 'spectacle' over production, its emphasis on relativism and on ideology in the maintenance of economic and political power are misguided and dangerous.
See Also
Modernism Structuralism Deconstruction Post-structuralism Postmodern literature Postmodern music Postmodern dance Postmodern theater Postmodern film Postmodern architecture Postmodern art Postmodern philosophy