Postmodernism: a cultural shift from simple to eclecticism
This week’s readings focused on Post-Modernism, as presented through Jencks’ article titled “The Post-Modern Information World and the Rise of the Cognitariat,” and through Woodham’s chapter on postmodernism in “Twentieth Century Design.” Both writers are neutral towards postmodernism by evaluating both the pros and cons of the movement; Jencks, however, focuses on social and socio-economic impacts of postmodernism by highlighting the changes this new movement brings, such as the formation of a global village, the juxtaposition of the old and new, cultural eclecticism, and the widening gap between the populations wealthy and poor. Jencks also brings up the point that whereas modernism was focused on the production of manufactured goods, postmodernism is axed on the creation of ideas (only 13% of information societies are involved in manufacturing goods). Woodham takes a different approach by focusing more on the theoretical aspect of postmodernism as well as the rise of pop culture. Woodham goes in-depth into how postmodernism is influenced by technology (notably technology that affects the entertainment industry such as the radio and television) during the Second Machine Age which is defined by electronics and synthetic chemicals. Woodham spends most of the chapter discussing pop culture that in turn promotes consumer culture, which signifies a shift away from production culture. Postmodernism is easily summarized through eclecticism, ornamentation, kitschy, wit and irony. These characteristics are exemplified through the Memphis group, which is an Italian group of designers and architects from the ’80s who wanted to break away from the overly-structured and patronizing aesthetic of modernism. The Memphis group perfectly represents postmodernism, as their work has an air of craftsmanship that breaks away from the monotony of modernism; their work is bright, colourful, oddly shaped, and created with the intent to be industrially produced by using materials such as plastic and metal. Although Woodham offers cultural context for postmodernism, Jencks’s exploration of postmodernism through all it’s different reaches and impacts give better insight into the design movement.
Postmodernism appears as a design movement that could represent escapism: both try to break away from reality by creating something fantastic and odd. Current “meme culture”, as expressed online, could easily exemplify the characteristics of postmodernism through their short-lived, obsolescent allure and the typical employment of witty and ironic humour to make a social commentary.
400 words.
Sources
Woodham, Jonathan M. Twentieth-Century Design. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997.
Jencks, Charles. “The Post-Modern Information World and the Rise of the Cognitariat.” The Industrial Design Reader, edited by Carma Gorman. New York, Allworth Press, 2003, pp. 223–227.
