V&A: Postmodernism

Postmodernism or PoMo is actually partly the period of time during which I was born. The sentence, that is mostly common for this movement is “Love it, or hate it”. I would say, that I was impressed during my visit to this exhibition in the V&A. I could sense the feeling of total freedom in the work of the artists, who were presented there. As it first manifested in architecture, and further in design, art, fashion and music. 



The style was born as it seems to both reject the  modernism, and to continue it.  The movement rediscovers colour, ornaments, shapes. It is a mixture of patches. At first it seems rather chaotic, but then it becomes clear, that it is all a personal perception of the world. The old habits are demolished, just as the Pruitt Igoe buildings it Saint Louis, Missouri on 15 July, 1972.

One of the installations, that impressed me was the “Strada Novisima” by Hans Hollein done for the Venice Biennale in 1980. It seems like it chronologically captures the history of architecture in just one façade. It is pretty impressive, and not only with it’s massiveness.

The next object, that captured my attention was the “Proust Chair” designed by Alessandro Mendini in 1978 during the time when he was working with the design studio Alchimia. It is actually a redesign of an antique Baroque chair. I find it very inspirational to use an object from the past, that seems quite ordinary, and redesign it as something unique and new.

A photograph of a boy called “The harder they come, the better” shot by Jamie Morgan and used as a cover of the March issue of “The Face” Magazine in 1985 was just amazing. The look in the boy’s eyes is just very powerful and expressive. Another photograph, that impressed me was the Helmut Newton Fashion Shoot.

In music and fashion it seems that PoMo is all about performance, strong shapes and a taste of androgyny. The difference between male and female is erased. It can be seen in all the costumes, the personalities of David Bowie, Boy George, Grace Jones, Klaus Nomi… Is it all about expression of an idea, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, straight or gay. It is all about the looks.

The photograph, that Jean Paul Goude created with Grace Jones is just iconic. Actually Grace Jones herself continues to carry the spirit of Postmodernism. She did not became commercial.

The exhibition consists of about 250 objects. The mixed media makes it remembering and expressive. The theme of the projected part of the famous Ridley Scott movie “Blade Runner” is still on my mind along with Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman” and Klaus Nomi’s “Lightning Strikes”. Boy George’s hollogam, Vivienne Westwood’s "Punkature Collection", the colourful objects created by the “Memphis” Group.
It all collects the spirit of the era and is definitely worth visiting.