Postmodernism Essay

Postmodernism is described as the phase of twentieth century Western culture that has been often defined as the visual culture produced in the period after modernism, though there has been much recent debate since the early 1980’s as to what the definition of Postmodernism could be. Postmodern art has always been difficult to define for various reasons which include what styles of art should be included in the movement, what is the exact artistic style of Postmodern art and the insufficiency to specify what exactly postmodernism is. One of the most basic definitions of the term postmodernism is that it is post-modern or after the modernist period, this not only gives us a better understanding but a clearer starting point in the search for the

Colour, ornament, decoration mixed with kitsch, irony and distortion became the key components of Postmodernism. Following on from this and exploring these components further is the work of Studio Alchimia, established by Alessandro Mendini in 1976. An Italian designer and architect, Mendini played a vital part in the development creation of Italian design and often experimented with recreating objects with new materials and embellishments utilizing classic designs. Mendini’s work is often characterized by his interest in different cultures, bright colours and decoration and expression in the field of graphics, furniture, interiors, painting and architecture.

With his work pushing the boundaries as to what products should be, Mendini combined his views on the intellectual and substance of furniture and with these he created his Lassu chair form 1974. This chair is one of his most notable and influential pieces of work and is a good example of the definition of Postmodernism. His Lassu chair form consists of a chair built on top of a pyramid structure and this forgoes the conventional notions of function and instead of seeing the chair as a place to sit, Mendini wanted the value of the chair to be measured purely by his ability to be aesthetically