Style & movement
Postmodernism
A diverse reaction to modernism, often marked by quotation, irony, historical references and a mixing of high and popular culture.
- Category
- Style & movement
- Index letter
- P
Understanding the term
From the 1970s especially, postmodern art and design challenged the idea of one linear development towards ever purer form. Ornament, narrative and local or historical codes returned, often mixed in ways that deliberately kept interpretation ambiguous.
When Postmodernism is used as a style label, it points to a family of formal qualities and ideas rather than a fixed recipe. Periods and movements overlap, and a single work may draw on several styles.
The label becomes more precise when considered alongside date, composition, colour, materials and historical context. A style can inspire work long after its original period, so appearance alone does not date an object.
Related entries
Continue through the glossary with terms from the same field.