Postmodernism, an extension of modernism, broke away from modernisms rules in favour for the opposite ideologies. In this essay I will discuss some of the key differences between the two movements. Firstly, a breakdown of the modern movement will be discussed through its key features. Then postmodernist features will be discussed in comparison to modernism.
Modernism began arguably in the early 20th century when the industrial revolution was reaching an ever increasing height. It was a time when man searched for a new look, a new way of doing, due to being ‘enlightened’. Man had come to know what was not yet realised before. This led to an inner struggle amongst artists, designers and most dramatically influential: architects; to search for and establish a new way of doing, due to being enlightened. Man had come to know what was not yet realised before. This led to an inner struggle amongst artists, designers and architects; to search for and establish a new way of creating that would represent meaning and truth accurately and objectively due to the enlightenment. This, later on, came to mean a rejection of tradition (ornamention) in favour of pure form. The movement ultimately aimed “to break down barriers between aesthetics, technics and society”, analysed by Paul Greenhalgh (Houze, Lees-Maffei; 2010).
Greenhalgh analysed and characterised “the broad sweep of” the modern movement through a list of twelve features: Decompartmentalisation, social morality, truth,