Postmodern design

I. The emergence and development of post-modern design

The postmodern concept in design first appeared in the field of architectural design. The American architect and theorist Robert Venturi clearly put forward the anti-modernism design idea. His book "Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture," published in 1966, is a manifesto against internationalism and modernist ideas. In the book, he first affirmed that modernism is a great contribution to the process of human civilization. At the same time, he proposed that modernism has completed its historical mission in a specific period of time. The ugly, mediocre, and stereotyped style of internationalism has limited the designer. The play of talent leads to a tedium of appreciation. He believes that modernism is outdated and that the glorious changes created by the modernist masters have become new. Although Wen Tuoli did not clearly put forward the rules of postmodernism design, he was confused about style, meaning blurred and metaphorical. The strong interest shown by the symbolic architecture has guided the development direction of postmodern design.

In 1972, Venturi published another book, Learning from Las Vegas, showing a clearer preference for ambiguous style. It can be said that the traditional and chaotic aesthetic tastes proposed by Wen Tuoli are the embryonic forms of the post-modernist design style. After Venturi, the British architect and theorist Charles Jencks made an important contribution to establishing the postmodernist theory of architectural design. He used the 3:32 pm of July 1972 at the United States in St. Louis to blow up the typical modernist residential area designed by the famous Japanese architect of modernism, Yamazaki, as a moment of death in the design of modernism. He was also the first person to put forward the concept of postmodernism in architecture and design. He published a series of postmodern architectural theories such as Post Modernism, Architecture Today, and The Language of Post-modern Architecture and so on. Jenks enumerated and analyzed all architectural trends thoroughly and attributed them to the category of postmodernism, making the term postmodernism widely circulated. The anti-modernism design ideas originated in architectural design in the 1960s were prominently reflected in the construction practice of the 1970s.

In 1977, Venturi and his wife, Denise Scott Brown, designed a roadside shop for America’s best product company known for adventure: the threshold of exaggerated low straight lines. Above it is a wall decorated with huge, bright floral decorations. Its striking visual effects are a direct reference to the POP style of the 1960s. The New Orleans Italian Square designed by Charles Moore (1925-) is a typical embodiment of post-modern architectural design ideas. Built in 1975-1980, this square shows the designer's preference for the Roman-Mediterranean historical style. This design is also the result of close cooperation between Moore and architects who are proficient in local culture. The design of this square not only takes into account the local residents' aesthetic tastes and lifestyle, but also considers the coordination with the surrounding environment. In the design, the square absorbs the black and white lines of a nearby skyscraper and transforms it into a large and small concentric circle. Moore also directly moved the map of Italy to the square design. The water rushing from the center-of-heart fountain flowed down from the heights that symbolize the Alps, and on both sides there were five typical classical columns.

Moore's design, which combines classic style and magical imagination, has become a classic of postmodernism design. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, post-modernist architecture had slowly begun to be accepted by consumers and won the trust of some famous clients. In 1980, the most innovative architect in the United States, Michael Graves (1934 -) defeated pure modernist architects twice and accepted the design of the Oregon Public Services Building. project. The building completed from 1980 to 1982 is like a building where children use building blocks. The shape of the cube reflects the simplicity of the classical, the lattice-shaped windows form a strong contrast with the huge scale of the building, and make the building Rich with an exaggerated sense of expansion. The large windows in the middle vertical strips and horizontal strips separate the buildings. The pair of huge maroon pilasters contrasts with the white walls of the small windows on both sides, providing a powerful supportive visual effect for buildings that feel illusory. . This masterpiece of deformation and free creation under the classical model has become a public building that encompasses the human dignity of the past and the vitality of the present. The AT&T New York Headquarters Building in New York from 1978 to 1983 was the largest and most prestigious masterpiece of postmodernist architecture. This building was designed by twentieth-century renowned architects Philip Johnson (1906- ) and Burgee. It is an eclecticism using a mixed architectural language. The overall shape of the skyscraper resembles a tall cabinet. The building is supported by high-rise buildings and uses the classical architectural language Arch, borrowing the form of the 15th century Italian Renaissance Church. In this way, Johnson moved the classical style into a modern high-rise building, blending the grandeur of the Baroque era with the POP style of modern commercialization, and was a clever use of the immortality and symbolic significance of previous works. This series of post-modernism architecture has made postmodernism an excellent interpretation. The post-modern design in the architectural field has driven post-modern design movements in other design fields.

After experiencing the exploration and practice of some radical design groups, the late 70's began brewing the arrival of post-modern design peaks. In 1976, a studio called Alchymia was established in Milan, Italy. The studio provided designers with a space to present their design samples. These samples were taken out of industrial design. After the shackles of restraint, free design talents of design talent. The designer of Akamiya's studio, Eto Sottsas, left the studio of Akamiya in 1980 and then established the "Memphis" team from the end of 1980 to the beginning of 1981. Being the most eye-catching post-modern design event in the 1980s has brought this brewing design movement to a climax. The organization has never systematically elaborated on any design ideas or design methods. Instead, they used their design work to show how they differ from modernist designs. Their design is mainly to break the shackles of functionalist design concepts, emphasize the decorative nature of items, boldly and even rudely use bright colors, and display new design concepts that are completely different from internationalism and functionalism.

In September 1981, the "Memphis" organization held its first exhibition in Milan. The bright, lively, optimistic, and bizarre objects that were covered with beautiful plastic sheets or decorated with colorful lights attracted a lot of interest. The audience showed great enthusiasm for these items, such as furniture, which are totally different from traditional designs. Sottsas was one of the founders of "Memphis". Although he soon left the organization, his design left many thoughts. His masterpiece is a seemingly odd-looking bookcase, using plastic veneers and bright colors that resemble an abstract sculptural work. The collage's shape provides little room for placement. Undoubtedly, it does not have the function of a bookshelf. He also designed many items with unclear uses and vague meanings. His design products, which are far from the principles of modernist design, leave people with no psychological preparations and are still topics of debate in the design community. The design of the other Memphis members also showed new ways of thinking that are completely different from the modernist design. For example, the table designed by Hans Hollein saw the desktop's wood sawing five different planes and its weakened functions. Sex makes it difficult to match the traditional table concept. Peter Schorr's furniture design is more creative. His desk is a sharp triangular board, supported by geometric blocks underneath, and the colors are extremely bright yellow and green. Peter Schorr’s design genius is also reflected in a series of teapot designs. His or cylinders, or triangular cubes, or irregularly shaped cubes are painted in bright colors and resemble children’s building block toys. The function is very far away.

Matteo Dayton's relaxed teapot design called "Naked Bird" resembles the animal's shape with a sense of fun and humor. "Memphis" is a colorful world. For example, George J. Sutton designed the urban rendering in 1983. It consists of houses of different shapes, bright colors, and similar building blocks. The "Memphis" design movement was the most striking event in the world's design community in the 1980s. The exhibitions they held in various countries spread their new design ideas to all parts of the world. Their design not only provided theorists with a topic to reflect on the design of modernism, but also inspired designers to create inspiration. Since Memphis, although there have been no radical design groups and organizations with influence, post-modern design activities have been depreciated due to their lack of practicality, but new and unique design products have continued to emerge. Their anti-modernism design The characteristics are also very obvious, these design products gradually accepted by people. The post-modern design concepts and aesthetic principles have slowly gone deep into the minds of designers and consumers.

II. Questioning of Postmodern Design

Post-modern design has become a hot spot for the media with its bright colors and sensational display effects. However, the post-modern design did not change the materiality of modernist design. It merely made some superficial articles on the design of modernism, or made some revision work for the design of modernism.

Modernist design is based on democratic thoughts and industrialized production, and meets the needs of the broad masses of people. Its production and development are in conformity with the trend of the times. Its solid ideological foundation is not due to some brilliant colors. And extraordinary ideas can be shaken. Under the premise of satisfying the needs of life, the mainstream of contemporary design is still the functional modernist design. Moreover, as a practical art, the functional requirements of design will become an enduring standard. The standardization and systematicness emphasized by modernist design is an extremely useful design method for the Earth, which is getting smaller and smaller due to the increasingly developed traffic and communication. Today, as the global economic integration, it can be used in different countries. People who speak different languages ​​provide convenience. Standardized logos and signage designs can even become a world language, bringing convenience to people.

Compared with the solid ideological foundation and rationalized features of modernist design, post-modernism with a strong sense of color