Postmodernism (lat. post = after) is a cross-genre term for a pluralist stance in style and philosophy which distances itself from the perceived dogmatism of modernism and its aesthetic processes.
Postmodernism allowed various possibilities and forms to co-exist on an equal footing. In architecture, postmodernism was a style which arose in the 1960s and which revived traditional architectural forms of decoration (columns, gables, etc.) in at times playful ways and combined them with modern forms. In the 1980s, the newly emerging extroverted product design drew on postmodern architecture in terms of both form and content. Architects such as Hans Hollein, Michael Graves, and Robert Venturi experimented with the style in their furniture designs, and Italy in particular set trends in postmodern design. In the “Alchimia” (1976–81) and “Memphis” (1981–88) studios, product designers and architects came together to promulgate a new programme. Their collaborative works drew on the styles of various eras of cultural history, the use of colour and decoration, and anti-functional forms.
