Postmodernism is difficult to categorise (Tate) describes it as ‘anti- authoritarian’ and that it has no defined style. When I think of Postmodernism I think of mixed media and collage, the style of Jean Michel-Basquiat embodies this. The layering of paper, paint and pen is a style I enjoy working with. Basquiat’s work always had meaning behind it, he was religious and had an African Caribbean heritage, these themes inspired his art. However, it may not be obvious to an audience. The names he gave to his work made it clearer and didn’t hide the meaning from the viewer.

Postmodernism I see as having more freedom. The ideas of letting people interpret things for themselves really resonates within me. I think this gives an audience a way to connect more with what you design. David Carson a graphic designer, moved away from using grids and templates. I’ve looked at his spread in Ray Gun using only dingbats on an article about singer, Bryan Ferry. It is purely design rather than to be read. You would have to deconstruct the dingbats to be able to get any text or meaning from it, although the text was printed at the back of the magazine. (Poynor 2003, p. 11) explains in ‘No Moe Rules’ how postmodernism levels the playing field for designers and erodes old boundaries. Creating endless possibilities for design and new hybrid forms to blossom.

Ed Fella mixes fonts and challenges the rules of design. “The alphabet is a construct of fragmented bits and parts which have no semantic meaning in themselves, and which must be strung together in a line, bead-like, and in a prescribed order.” (McCluhun, Fiore, and Agel 1967, b p. 44) I think Ed Fellas commercial art alphabet shows a meaning in the mixed fonts. Its interesting design, opposing the idea of a ‘prescribed order’. This is what postmodernism is about and Ed Fellas work really encapsulates the playful values that it holds.

(Carson, D.1994, Raygun)

(Fella, E. 2005, Commercial Art Alphabet)

(Basquiat, J.M. 1981, Bird on Money)

Basquiat, J.M. (1981) Bird on Money. Available from: https://d2jv9003bew7ag.cloudfront.net/uploads/Jean-Michel-Basquiat-Bird-on-Money.-1981.jpg [Accessed 22 November 2017]

Carson, D. (1994) Raygun. Available from: http://www.csun.edu/~pjd77408/DrD/Art461/LecturesAll/Lectures/PublicationDesign/images/carson/RG-1994.jpg [Accessed 22 November 2017]

Fella, E. (2005) Commercial Art Alphabet. Available from: http://www.edfella.com/images/lettering/letteringcurrent/aprojects/6.jpg [Accessed 22 November 2017]

McCluhun, M. Fiore, Q. and Agel, J. (1967) The Medium is the Massage New York: Bantam Books

Poynor, R. (2003) No More Rules, Graphic Design & Post Modernism London: Laurence King

Postmodernism Art Term: London: Tate. Available from: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/postmodernism [Accessed 22 November 2017]