Postmodernism

                  

'Your body is a battle ground' by Barbara Kruger

             Postmodernism is a late 20th century style in art and literature which rejects the rules of modernism and mixes old and new influences in unusual ways. The products of postmodern culture may sometimes bear similarities to modernist works, but their inspiration and purpose is fundamentally different (Poynor, 2003, P.11). The development of postmodernism seen from the vantage point of the end of the century shows how alive it was with possibility but also how contradictory its features were (Hoffman, 2005, p.14). It is also considered that it had an effect on the form of communication, embracing a wide range of cognitive talents and skills, such as typography, image development and layouting. Entailing a certain kind of procedure where the entry-point is designing and communication is created and followed by the by-product (design), primarily composed of creative solutions, imagery and media compositions.

'Who is free to choose?' by Barbara Kruger

Graphic designers have created some of the most challenging examples of postmodernism in the visual arts. (Poynor, 2003, P.10)

Schreibkunst by Wolfgang Weingart.

Wolfgang Weingart was trained as a lead typesetting, having virtually no formal design training. He began his own systematic exploration of typographic form, but with a marked difference: it extrapolated the idea of visually semantic compoistion (Samara, 2002, P.115). In 1972 and 1973 he designed covers for the monthly periodical Typographische Monatsblatter with the goal of challenging design ideology. In these years he also gave a lecture tour titled 'How can one make Swiss Typography?.' Weingart is a dedicated full-time teacher, never having done a large amount of commercial work, though he does personal projects, posters for  art exhibitions and government projects and has received awards from the Swiss government for both his book covers and posters. His 500-page book 'Typography', a comprehensive discussion of  his philosophy and work, was recently published.

'Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games'
 by April Greiman

Perhaps the best-known female designer in graphic design history, most famously known for her revolutionary work in the world of digital imaging, April Greiman, was one of Weingart's students. The award-winning graphic designer sees herself as a natural bridge between the Modernist tradition and future generations of designers. Greiman is adamant that the world has changed and that design must change with it, creating new metaphors, opening new paradigms and a whole new spirit of design. New wave post-modernists challenged the notion of modernist ordering systems and asked designers to experiment with the artistic possibilities that lay beyond the grid by experimenting with typography and image placement in direct contrast to the rigid swiss grids of the past. Her work has continued to marry the exploration of digital tools with her unique sensibilities, generating an oeuvre that maintains these principles, whether the piece is a logo for a restaurant or a 75-foot mural (Gomez-Palacio & Vit, 2009, P.179). However, the art she created is often identified for its 3D, that provides a unique experience to the viewer.

Poster designed by April Greiman

One might view postmodernism as an attack on the elitism of modernism; as a radical, one might support modernism as mere superficial kitsch (Woods, 1999, P.253). Postmodernism was an essential reaction to modernism. It tends to destroy the connection between art and everyday life, it refuses to be any single style of what art and design should be. 


Bibliography:




Gomez-Palacio, B. & Vit, A. (2009) Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design. United States: Rockport, Inc.


Hoffmann, G. (2005) From modernism to Postmodernism "Concepts and strategies of postmodern american fiction". Amsterdam: Rodopi.


Poynor, R.(2003). No more rules: Graphic design and postmodernism. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.


Samara, T. (2002). Making and breaking the grid. United States: Rockport Publishers, Inc.


Woods, T. (1999). Beginning Postmodernism. New York: Manchester University Press