What is Postmodernism?

Postmodernism Definition:

The prefix “post” means after. Postmodernism, simply means trying to overcome the problems that continue after modernism or that arise from modernism. Postmodernism, which started to be effective in the second half of the 20th century; it is a movement in which modernity is questioned in fields such as architecture, painting, philosophy and literature.

Although there are many different definitions for this concept in the literature (social, artistic, critical, etc.), there is no definite opinion that the circles have reached a consensus. This situation has given complex meanings to postmodernism and the concept has become ambiguous. According to our research, the simplest and most concise postmodernism definition; As expressed by Dilek Doltaş in her work “Postmodernism and Its Criticism, Discussions/Applications” in 2003:

Postmodernism: It is the most important method of criticism that questions the norms of Western modernism and its related enlightenment and humanism projects that serve the purpose of political power and interest, solves its mentality, sheds light on its contradictions, distorted and self-oriented norms and approaches, starting from the 1970s until today. (p.190)”

Dilek Doltaş, 2003

Note: You can read our article on Postmodern Architecture to learn about the reflections of postmodernism in architecture.

Before answering the question ‘What is postmodernism and what are its characteristics’, it is necessary to examine modernism, which is an idea and art movement that prevailed in the 18th and 19th centuries. Modernism is a movement developed on the concept of “modern”, which comes from the Latin word “modernus”, meaning new and current.

Note: We recommend you to read our article titled ‘What is Modernism‘ to learn more about Modernism.

When, Where and How did Postmodernism Movement Arise?

We first come across the word postmodernism in the 1940s, when the influence of modernism began to weaken. The postmodernism term, which started to be used in literary criticism in the 1950s with the Second World War, has become even more popular with its effect on the architectural works of the 1960s. However, its transition to literature was when British historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee used the word postmodernism in his work in 1974. Arnold Joseph Toynbee describes the post-World War II era of the West as “postmodern”.

Postmodernism has generally been shaped against the problems that have emerged with the evolution of modernism over time and that disturb the masses. The postmodernism movement, which is based on a critical approach to the problems created by modernism, continued its influence for a period. These problems that emerged in the last days of modernism are briefly as follows;

• The economic and political models shaped around humanism, which is the basis of modernism, have begun to be questioned.
• A rapid change has begun in the direction of globalization and being a consumer society,
• His perspective on the concept of human rights and democracy has suffered greatly,
• Technological development and growing industry began to oppress people in the wheels of the capitalist system,
• Developing economies have brought power wars with them. Economies focused on the production of weapons and a process resulted in nuclear armament.
• As a result of uncontrolled industrialization, people started to harm nature with their own hands and this negatively affected natural life,
• Capitalist capital pushed people into the monotonous system, leading to a kind of modern slavery system,
• Individual freedoms are damaged and people are isolated in crowds,
• In the light of all these facts, people have started to experience insecurity and identity problems.

With the effect of the above basic problems and the Second World War, which caused great destruction, people are now in search of new ones. The current system has begun to be questioned and the opposition to the highly rational approach of modernism, which is expressed as human-oriented(!), has spread rapidly. The Algerian War of Independence and the 1968 Paris events are among the other historical events that accelerated postmodernism.

The Algerian occupation process, which started in 1827 by France, was moved to another dimension with the people’s uprising declaration on November 1, 1954. Despite all the pressures of France, Algeria declared its independence on 1 July 1962. The protests against the Vietnam War at Berkeley University in September 1964 and the French student riots of 1968 were a continuation of the process. We can state that all these cyclical political effects are the building blocks in the emergence of the postmodernist movement.

What are the Postmodernism Characteristics?

The main postmodernism characteristics can be listed as follows;

• Postmodernism; it is against all concepts such as rationalism, capitalism, positivism, liberalism,
• It is inquisitive about modernism and the values ​​it creates,
• Eclecticism prevails. Synthesis gives way to fragmentation, and these parts cannot be integrated; but can be attached to each other,
• All kinds of pluralism are preferred instead of universal universal unity,
• The understanding of national and universal culture is rejected,
• There is a view against all authorities and normativeism. Instead of the concept that there is only one truth and meaning, multiple truths and meanings are emphasized,
• In general, a destructive and rejecting attitude prevails against the rules and orders in all areas of society,
• By questioning traditional concepts and perspectives, an ironic attitude and sarcasm are displayed,
• Opposites are used together; past – present, traditional – modern, right – left, etc.
• A more positive attitude towards the concept of religion is displayed,
• Extreme relativism prevails,
• Images are preferred over reality,
• Against the opposition of right and wrong, there is the point of view that everything is right or everything is wrong,
• It is desired that the past be kept alive with its own realities,
• It is essential not to break the ties between the past and the present,
• Postmodernism influence was felt in many different fields such as history, law, literature, biology, geography, fine arts, medicine, politics, philosophy and architecture.

Postmodernism Examples and Representatives

In the postmodern period,, it is seen that artists generally try to get rid of the restrictive and normative point of view brought by modernism. With this period, works with more intuition, emotion, creativity, fantasy and imagination emerged. Although a large share in the development of postmodernism is usually given to the French, it is thought that German philosophers inspired postmodernism. Specifically, “Progress is only a modern idea, but a false one.” Philosophers such as Nietzsche, Heidegger and Soren Kierkegaard have contributed greatly to the emergence of the philosophy of postmodernism.

As we mentioned above, there are many important representatives of postmodernism, which appears in many different fields. Some of the important postmodernism examples and representatives we have chosen for you are:

Painter: Robert Rauschenberg (1925 – 2008)

Painter: Gerhard Richter (1932 – )

Painter: Chris Ofili (1968 – )

Writer: Umberto Eco (1932 – 2016)

Writer: Italo Calvino (1923 – 1985)

Writer: Paul Auster (1947 – )

Writer: Salman Rushdie (1947 – )

Poet: Allen Ginsberg (1926 – 1997)

Poet: Paul Hoover (1946 – )

Poet: Susan Howe (1937 – )

Architect: Michael Graves (1934 – 2015)

Architect: James Stirling (1926 – 1992)

Architect: Robert Venturi (1925 – 2018)

In this article, we tried to briefly answer the questions of ‘What is postmodernism definition‘ and ‘What are postmodernism characteristics‘. For more information on two successive currents of the 19th and 20th centuries, you can review our article “Modernism vs Postmodernism” and our article “What is Modernism“. Also, don’t forget to read our article on “Postmodern Architecture” to better understand the impact of postmodernism on architecture.

You can visit our homepage for inspiration on different subjects related to interior design & architecture. 🙂

This Article What is Postmodernism? (Definition & Characteristics) Was Originally Published on This Website: DeCombo. The Source of the Article is This Website.

The concepts of modernism and postmodernism, which are often used together, actually express two different views that advocate diametrically opposite thoughts. Before giving information about the differences between modernism and postmodernism, which are the movements that left their mark on the 19th and 20th centuries, we briefly answered the question ‘what is modernism and postmodernism‘. Good reading…

Modernism vs Postmodernism

What is Modernism?

The origin of the word modernism, which emerged in the mid-19th century, is based on the Latin word “modernus”. The concept of modern, which is used as a word meaning “new and current”, is a continuation of the Renaissance enlightenment period, which was formed on the basis of humanism. In essence, it expresses the modern lifestyle and cultural development. He harshly criticizes concepts such as morality, law, philosophy, religion and history on the axis of cause and effect relationship.

In more detail, the foundation of the idea of modernism dates back to the 18th century. We can say that Immanuel Kant, who started his studies on philosophy under the influence of David Hume and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is the father of the ideas that led to the emergence of modernism.

By clicking on the link below, you can find answers to the questions; ‘What is modernism’, ‘Why and how did modernism arise’, ‘What are the characteristics of modernism’ and ‘Who are the representatives of modernism’:

What is Postmodernism?

“Post” is a prefix that gives the meaning “after” to the word to which it is added. In this context, simply; postmodernism means the period in which the problems that come after modernism, continue from modernism or more comprehensively originate from modernism are tried to be overcome. In the middle of the 20th century, the postmodernism movement that started to emerge after the Second World War; He harshly criticized modernism, being influential in architecture, painting, philosophy, literature and many more.

In parallel with technological innovations and the development of industry, the modernism movement has begun to degenerate and has turned into a phenomenon that exploits more people instead of a human-oriented philosophy. It is precisely on this basis that the opposition to modernism has created a much stronger ground for itself with the liberation process of Algeria following the Second World War and the Paris student uprisings.

By clicking on the link below, you can find answers to the questions; ‘What is postmodernism’, ‘Why and how did postmodernism arise’, ‘What are the characteristics of postmodernism’ and ‘Who are the representatives of postmodernism’:

Differences Between Modernism and Postmodernism

The differences between modernism and postmodernism that marked the 19th and 20th centuries are as follows. Here, modernism vs postmodernism!

• When the periods in which they emerged are examined, the modernism movement began to be seen in the middle of the 19th century. Postmodernism, on the other hand, started to sprout after the Second World War and generally managed to reach large masses in the second half of the 20th century.

• In the philosophy of modernism, which emerged with the thesis of “being human-oriented”; Concepts such as rationalism, capitalism and positivism are defended. Postmodernist thought, which thinks that all these concepts have begun to harm people over time, is positioned exactly opposite the aforementioned concepts.

• Modernism has followed a synthesis-oriented approach based on reason and science. Postmodernism, on the other hand, cannot be integrated, but has an approach that focuses on attachable pieces and eclecticism.

• Modernism, which started to be shaped by the thought of enlightenment after the Renaissance, is extremely questioning against the concept of religion. Postmodernism, on the other hand, preferred to establish a closer relationship with the past and approached the concept of religion more positively.

• Modernism defends general acceptances in parallel with the philosophy of universal integrity it has adopted. In postmodernism, generalization is rejected and pluralism is supported.

• In the early days of modernism, everyone adopted; Concepts such as democracy, secularism, technology and human rights came to the fore and became the most important facts of the movement. Postmodernism, on the other hand, claims that all these concepts are misoperated over time, bring more harm than good and enslave people.

• Modernism basically focuses on a single attainable truth and a single meaning. Postmodernism, on the other hand, follows the philosophy of multiple truths and multiple meanings instead of a single concept.

• Due to the conditions and perspectives of the period, the modernists showed an approach away from politics. Postmodernists, on the other hand, could not remain indifferent to the politics that spread to the masses in parallel with the period and the developing world. Postmodernists have been more involved in politics than modernists.

• In general, modernism has felt its influence in various fields such as philosophy, painting, music, literature and architecture. Postmodernism, on the other hand, showed a much wider range of effects. To give an example, postmodernism has dealt with many different disciplines, from architecture to zoology. Similarly; It has also shown its influence in the fields of history, law, literature, biology, geography, all branches of art, medicine, politics and philosophy.

To learn the equivalent of modernism and postmodernism in architecture, you can read our articles on Modern Architecture and Postmodern Architecture.

• It is thought that the concepts of ethics and morality in modernism should be the same for the whole world. Postmodernism, on the other hand, follows an opposing attitude to common concepts. Pluralism is preferred in every sense.

• Modernism advocates a national and universal understanding of culture. Postmodernism, on the other hand, has the opposite point of view.

• Modernism’s view of the past is shallower. In postmodernism, the past is important and the idea of keeping the past alive in line with its own realities is advocated.

These two thought structures, the foundations of which were laid by great philosophers, have evolved over time and have survived to the present day as currents that still maintain their influence. On the one hand, the famous German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who inspired the idea of modernism; On the other hand, the famous German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the thinkers who ignited the idea of postmodernism.

Today, many thinkers such as Habermas and Anthony Giddens argue that modernism has not ended. These thinkers, who accept many ideas of postmodernism, define these new realities as phenomena within modernism.

In this article, we gave general information about ‘Differences Between Modernism and Postmodernism‘ and ‘Modernism vs Postmodernism‘. For more detailed information about these two important movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, we recommend you to read our articles on ‘Postmodernism Definition‘ and ‘Modernism Definition‘.

Don’t forget to visit our homepage for inspiration on different topics related to interior design & architecture! 🙂

This Article Modernism vs Postmodernism Was Originally Published on This Website: DeCombo. The Source of the Article is This Website.

What is Postmodern Architecture?

Postmodern architecture is an international architectural style that emerged in the 1960s as a reaction to the monotony of modern architecture and developed in the 1970s, re-emphasizing the architectural forms of ancient times as aesthetic elements. J.C. Jencks gave his name to the current. In his book “The Language of Post-Modern Architecture” published in the 1970s, he argued that modern architecture is dead.

Postmodern architecture is an eclectic movement that refers to the past by recreating design elements from different periods in a contemporary climate in order to alleviate the strict rules of modernism. Postmodernism is characterized by symbolism and irony. It reintroduces arbitrary ornamentation into architecture. It is vibrant and sculptural. It removes the architect from having a purely functional role. It aims to establish a dialogue between architectural ideas, styles, culture and history.

Note: Don’t forget to read our article on Architectural History and Architectural Styles from prehistory to the present!

Postmodern architecture often has curved forms, dysfunctional ornaments, asymmetry, vibrant colors, and symbolic features borrowed from previous eras. Postmodern buildings can refer to local traditions, popular culture, modernism, high technology at the same time; however, it does not highlight any of these factors.

Postmodernism in Architecture

Postmodernism in architecture was developed from the 1980s to the 1990s, especially with the work of Scott Brown & Venturi, Philip Johnson, Charles Moore and Michael Graves. At the end of the 1990s, it was divided into different styles such as high-tech, neo-futurism and deconstructivism.

Note: Before moving on to the history of postmodern architecture, we recommend that you read our article ‘What is Modern Architecture‘ to get information about the history, features and examples of modern architecture.

Postmodern Architecture History

When and Where Did It Appear?

Postmodernism in architecture first started in the United States in the 1960s. Later, it spread to Europe and continued its influence until today. Postmodern architecture, in the 1960s, to the shortcomings of modern architecture; especially as a reaction to its strict doctrines, monotony, lack of ornament, and ignoring the history and culture of the cities in which it emerged. The postmodern movement was formalized in Robert Venturi’s book “Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture” in 1966.

Instead of the functional doctrines of modernism, Venturi proposes the use of façade decorations, historical elements, unusual use of different materials and historical symbols, and the use of the modulation system to make the building interesting. In addition, Venturi wrote the book “Learning from Las Vegas” in 1972 with architect and urban planner Denise Scott Brown (his wife and partner) and Steven Izenour. This book contributed to the development of the postmodernist movement by further developing the common arguments against modernism.

Scott Brown argues that buildings should be built for people and that architecture should listen to them. Scott Brown and Venturi argue that “diversity and communication” needs can be met with decorative elements. In response to Mies van der Rohe’s slogan “Less is more”, Venturi responded with the slogan “Less is a bore”. Thus, an architectural style has emerged that combines history with modern, local architecture with technology, in short, making use of the entire history of architecture.

Examples of postmodern architectural transitions include the Portland Building in Portland, Oregon and the Sony Building in New York. These structures reference the past and reintroduce color and symbolism into architecture. Considered one of the first postmodern architecture examples, the AT&T Building (today’s Sony building) received positive and negative reactions when it was completed in 1984. The building is a tall skyscraper that borrows cutting edge technology. At the same time, the top of the skyscraper has a paradoxically ancient connotation.

Why and How Did It Appear?

After the end of World War II in 1945, many mass housing applications with new construction methods are seen in Europe. In economic and functional housing structures, a great uniformity occurs based on prefabrication and mass production. This pragmatic attitude of the modern architecture movement, which ignores historical and cultural contexts, led to the emergence of postmodern sensitivity in the 1950s.

A similar revolt against strict modernism was started in Italy by architect Aldo Rossi, who criticized the reconstruction of Italian cities and buildings destroyed during the war in a modernist style, which has nothing to do with architectural history. Rossi insisted that cities be rebuilt in a way that preserves their historical fabric and local traditions.

Similar ideas were also put forward at the Venice Biennale in 1980. Hans Hollein in Austria, Ricardo Bofill in Spain, France and the USA, Christian de Portzamparc in France, Paolo Portoghesi in Italy, Arata Isozaki and Yasafumi Kijima in Japan have been the leading representatives of this trend.

Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, working in France, took the postmodern architecture style so far as to apply it to prefabrication. Postmodernism in architecture did not remain only in the dimension of buildings, neighborhoods and urban parts suitable for the postmodernist movement were developed in the USA, Germany and France.

Postmodern Architecture Characteristics

The main postmodern architecture characteristics are:

• Confusion and contradiction: Postmodern architecture combines new forms and features with contradictory elements of classicism. A throwback to the past and ornament requires a collage of items borrowed from old styles. Colors and textures are irrelevant to the structure or function of the building.
• Arbitrary decorations: It processes elements of architectural history in new ways. Stylized Greek and Roman columns, pediments, metopes, pop art elements are frequently seen on the facades of postmodern buildings.
• Fragmentation: Postmodern architecture often divides large buildings into several different structures and forms. Sometimes different parts represent different functions. Using different styles and materials, a single building can look like a small town or village.
• Curvilinear and asymmetrical forms: Postmodernist compositions are rarely symmetrical, balanced, and orderly. Usually curvilinear and fluid forms are used.
• Color: Color is important for postmodern buildings; unusual color palettes and combinations are featured. Colored glass, ceramic tiles and stones are used to add variety and personality to facades.
• Humor and sculpture: Theatrical, absurd and sculptural forms come to the fore in the postmodern architectural style. For example, the entrance door is a giant binocular-shaped structure designed by Frank Gehry.

You can read our article titled ‘What is Postmodernism‘ to have information about postmodernist thought and its reflections in different fields.

Postmodernist Architects & Famous Postmodern Buildings

Robert Venturi

Born in 1925, Robert Venturi is an architect who is both the leading theorist of postmodernism and a pioneer of the postmodern architecture style. Finding modern architecture ugly and ordinary, Venturi is famous for its “Less is a bore” slogan against Mies van der Rohe’s “Less is more” slogan.

After studying at the American Academy in Rome, he worked in the offices of the modernist architects Eero Saarinen and Louis Kahn until 1958. He later became a professor of architecture at Yale University. His first buildings are the “Guild House” built in Philadelphia between 1960-1963 and the “Vanna Venturi House” designed for his mother in 1964. These two houses later became symbols for Postmodern architecture. In the 1960s and 1970s, he created many structures that combine existing architectural forms with historical elements.

Charles Moore

The architect’s most famous work is the Piazza d’Italia, built in 1978 in New Orleans. In the design of the square, it brings together important pieces of Italian Renaissance architecture. Moore’s structure named “Beverly Hills Civic Center” is a mixture of Spanish Colonial Architecture, Art Deco and Postmodern styles. Structure; It consists of open and semi-open spaces with stairs, balconies, courtyards, columns and walkways.

Another famous building of the architect is the Haas School of Business at the University of California. The building’s design is a blend of the neo-Renaissance architecture of the Berkeley campus with the 20th century wooden residential architecture of the Berkeley hills.

Philip Johnson

Philip Johnson began his career as a staunch modernist. He is one of the authors of the catalog on “International Style” (Modernism) in the 1935 MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art) exhibition. He worked with Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer at Harvard. The Glass House project, inspired by Mies in 1949, has become a symbol of the modernist movement. Moreover, he worked with Mies on one of the iconic structures of modern architecture, the Seagrams Building.

In the 1950s, however, he began to incorporate some iconic styles and forms into his project for the Port Chester Synagogue, with its vaulted, colorful, narrow windows. With the AT&T Building (today’s Sony building), built 1978–1982, Johnson made a definitive return to postmodernism. His intention is to make the building stand out as a corporate symbol amongst the modernist skyscrapers in and around Manhattan, and he succeeds. A short time later, he completed another postmodern project, PPG Place.

In 1995, he builds a postmodern pavilion for the “Glass House” structure. The entrance gate, called “Da Monstra”, is a curvilinear structure made of concrete. This red and gray building is the pioneer of sculptural contemporary architecture of the 21st century.

Frank Gehry

The famous architect, born in 1929, is an important figure for postmodern architecture. He has created masterpieces in France, Germany, Spain, England, the United States, Scotland, Australia, Panama and more. In 1962 he opened his own office in Los Angeles. From the 1970s he designed several unusual homes in Los Angeles, including his own house (1978). Breaking with traditional designs, he starts using prefabricated materials to create unusual forms in home architecture.

Schnabel House in Los Angeles (1986–1989), Norton Residence in California (1983), Dancing House in Prague (1996) are some of his works. It is best known for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, which Philip Johnson says is the “greatest building of our time”. Another famous work of the architect is the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Defined as an advocate of deconstructivism, Gehry refused to be involved in any movement.

In this article, we tried to briefly answer the questions of ‘What is postmodern architecture‘ and ‘What are main characteristics of postmodern buildings‘. To understand postmodernism in all its aspects, you can read our article on the ‘What is postmodernism definition‘. Don’t forget to visit our homepage for inspiration on different topics related to interior design & architecture! 🙂

This Article What is Postmodern Architecture? (Characteristics & Examples) Was Originally Published on This Website: DeCombo. The Source of the Article is This Website.