Class on Monday began with the theme of unraveling some of the knots of confusion that had developed in my mind while working through the class readings the weekend before. This process was happening rather slowly until suddenly Dr. Cummings showed a certain visual and I had my first of many "aha" moments in this class. In discussing modernism and postmodernism, the concepts are incredibly theoretical and abstract. However, when Dr. Cummings showed us the pictures of the modern building versus the postmodern building, the concepts started to make much more sense to me.
The modern building was constructed in a way that was different and it had a specific purpose. It was pushing boundaries in order to be better, to be more functional. The postmodern building, on the other hand, was different just for the sake of being different. It was playful. Because the limits have already been pushed by modernism, postmodernism now gets to push them in a new way just for the sake of exploration. This is a trend that I see often in society lately. For example, postmodernity is extremely evident in the world of fashion. Fashion in 2018 is characterized by extreme extravagance-- absolutely nothing is off limits. Creativity is admired and every designer is feening to do something different, something that nobody has ever seen done before. Artistry and playfulness is always appreciated and endorsed in postmodernity; while the clothes may not be functional, postmodernism doesn't have to be because we have already made enough room for functionality in our society through modernity.
Looking at postmodernism through the lens of architecture as well as fashion has helped me come to what I consider to be a beginner-level understanding of the difference between modernism and postmodernism. I look forward to finding more ways to apply this newfound knowledge so that I can continue to deepen my understanding of the differences between modernity and postmodernity.
The modern building was constructed in a way that was different and it had a specific purpose. It was pushing boundaries in order to be better, to be more functional. The postmodern building, on the other hand, was different just for the sake of being different. It was playful. Because the limits have already been pushed by modernism, postmodernism now gets to push them in a new way just for the sake of exploration. This is a trend that I see often in society lately. For example, postmodernity is extremely evident in the world of fashion. Fashion in 2018 is characterized by extreme extravagance-- absolutely nothing is off limits. Creativity is admired and every designer is feening to do something different, something that nobody has ever seen done before. Artistry and playfulness is always appreciated and endorsed in postmodernity; while the clothes may not be functional, postmodernism doesn't have to be because we have already made enough room for functionality in our society through modernity.
Looking at postmodernism through the lens of architecture as well as fashion has helped me come to what I consider to be a beginner-level understanding of the difference between modernism and postmodernism. I look forward to finding more ways to apply this newfound knowledge so that I can continue to deepen my understanding of the differences between modernity and postmodernity.
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