History of Design: Postmodernism

I Study the active vocabulary and focus on Ukrainian equivalents of English words.

 

precisely точно

fail зазнати невдачі

bore нудьга

forge кувати

reference посилання

conclusion висновок

predetermined заздалегідь визначений

rock похитнути

anarchy анархія

repetition повторення

infinitely нескінченно

challenge кидати виклик

force змушувати

rally об’єднуватися

blandness млявість

riot бунт

whimsical ексцентричний

obsessive всепоглинаючий

recycle переробляти

plain очевидний

silliness дурість

mass media засоби масової інформації

take off брати початок

interconnected взаємопов’язаний

liberating що визволяє

unsettling що викликає неспокій

confuse бентежити

delight  викликати захоплення

bemuse приголомшувати

quirky примхливий

reckon  with рахуватися з

cattle prod стрекало для худоби

compel змушувати

 

  

II   Vocabulary focus. Study the words and  word combinations, check your understanding using flashcards, practise their translation, spelling. Check your knowledge in the test. Play matching vocabulary game (match words to their translations to make cards disappear)  and save the planet from asteroids by typing in correct translation of the words.

III Watch the video. Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

Postmodernism beginning/ran/began at precisely 3pm March 16th 1972. Modernism had failed/nailed/railed or at least that’s what the postmodernists believed.

Modernists had tend/spent/spending much of the 20th century trying to gorge/forced/forge a better world inspired/inspiration/pier by science and universal/universally/versatile truths. To them bless/rest/less was more. To postmodernists less was a bore/core/tore. They believed we needed as many references/refugees/inferred as possible to determined/terminate/determine our own individual subjective conclusions/conclude/concussions. Art is a good way to try and explain it. Remember  Picasso? He creator/create/created one of masterpieces based upon predetermined/undetermined/determination principles of art. His creations rocket/pocketed/rocked the art world. But postmodernists weren’t impressed/imposed/pressed. They believed in more than one methodical/methyl/method or style. Collate/large/collage, chance, anarchy/arched/rakes, repetition, these were infinitely more interesting/investing/investor. Postmodernists wanted to ledge/challenge/channel audiences and force them to ask questions/quest/pressed. Postmodern builder/leading/buildings rallied against the blandness that had gone before/prefer/infer. The Las Vegas strip is a great samples/sampled/example: a riot of styles, vultures/cultures/clutter and whining/whimsical/flimsy collage. Like any movement/movable/event postmodernism had its critics objecting to unnecessary ornament/ornamentation/ornamented, an obsessive tendency to recycle the past/last/fast to make something new and often just plain syllables/giddy/silliness. The rise of mass ready/media/medium really helped postmodernism rake off/bake off/take off. The world was interconnected/interrelated/interested like never before. For many postmodernism was liberal/related/liberating, giving creative expression a dynamic, often unsettling voice. Postmodernist cinema still fused/confuses/influences, surprises and delights us. Postmodernist performer/performance/reformed still amused/amusing/bemuse us.

And we just can’t seem to get enough of quirky/quickly/quacking postmodern art. Politically, philosophically/stoical/philanthropically, creatively - the postmodern movement has proven itself a forge/gorge/force to be reckoned with. Like a giant social cattle prod compounding/embellishing/compelling society to question why things are the way they are, and why they aren’t. Planning something postmodern?

IV Watch the video and answer the questions.

1 When did postmodernism begin? What period in design history did it follow?

2 What attitude did postmodernists have towards modernism? Did they see modernism as a successful trend? Why or why not?

3 What differences existed in design and art between modernism and postmodernism?

4 What were postmodernists trying to do?  What was the relation between postmodernism and society?

5 How did postmodernism treat ornamentation?

6 Why is postmodernism sometimes described as a riot of styles? What cities represent this view of postmodernism?

7 What was postmodernist cinema like?

8 What questions did postmodernism ask?