Post Modernism

Post modernism first emerged during 1917, when Rudolph Panwitz spoke about "nihilistic, amoral, post modern men". Though it wouldn't be until the 1960's when it would start to emerge at a movement. Post Modernism followed after Modernism began to lose popularity. Post-Modernism was essentially the exact opposite of Modernism, where Modermism was built from optimism, progress and purity, Post Modernism was born from Pessimism, Pluralism and the Disillusionment with the idea of absolute knowledge.

The 1960's is when Post Modernism began, according to Charles Jencks, modernism 'dies' with the demolition of the Pruitt; a large modernist urban housing project, the 70's was when Post Modernism began to develop as a term. It wasn't until the 80's when it started to become recognisable the by the public, during the 80's and 90's it had become the dominant theoretical discourse. Today however, Post Modernism is no longer popular and on it's way out.

Unlike Modernism; Post Modernism had an attitude to it, lacking the rules that was part of modernism and celebration work and art that was otherwise described as kitsch. Often Post Modernism would mix materials and create chaotic looking pieces of work.A rchitecture changed from minimalist blocks of grey to buildings with elements of humanity added to them, suck as the AT&T Building and the Guggenheim museum.  Leeds developed a post modernist style for a lot of it's buildings, making them look like the old buildings from Leeds' Victorian heritage. Post Modern art would often take influences from the past, again, the exact opposite of modernism.

Where Paris was the Modern city of it's time, Las Vegas is the Post-Modern city of the world, with its massive mixture of buildings and parodies of famous landscapes. Post Modern Dystopias became common place in cinema such as Bladerunner and Akira, showcasing what could happen if Post Modernism was took to it's extreme.

Post Modernism saw the rise of artists such as Andy Warhol with his Marilyn Monroe prints. While classed as art, it was just a print of a photo in different colours, it was message and a critique on modern technology. Many Post Modern artists made fun of the Modernist 'truth to materials' paintings and taking such things so seriously.  Andy Warhol's 'Oxidation painting' was urine over copper. He was literally taking the piss out of Modernist art!

Post Modernism strived give a voice to a wide variety of artists and not just rich men. Many Post Modern pieces of art were quick, cheap to make and could be easily done by anyone.

Post modernism was all about confronting established conventions, often breaking the fourth wall by communicating directly to the audience. With this, you could say that almost ALL videogames are Post Modern, as the vast majority rely on telling the players what the controls are or what there next objective is. Post Modern film would often reference other films. 'Once Upon a Time in The West' is considered one of the first Post Modern films to be made, most of the scenes from that film are homages or direct copies of other films.