Postmodernism took root during the 1950s and boomed in the 1960s. After World War II, an abrupt change in social, political and artistic thought and aesthetic took place, turning away from the "ism" movements of modernism. In modernism, the world was looked at through a specific theme, theory or truth. Postmodernism sought to deconstruct, undermine and sometimes reassemble those ideals to show a world of relativity. Its theories manifested differently in art, literature and music. In the early 21st century, post-postmodernism has taken root, as well.
Traditional Theories in Art
Where modern art styles aligned with and even spurred on political and social ideologies, postmodern art theory held that styles should exist independent of any agenda, or even pure visual aesthetics defined by that style. It sought to expose and deconstruct the influence of modern art movements by showing the artificial nature of each style and rejecting a stylistic purity of each style. The Postmodern Elegy, for instance, referenced surrealism, cubism and expressionism but doesn't look to advance any associated ideologies or adhere to a pure definition of each style. Modern art also attempted to look at the world through a specific ideology. Cubism followed Einstein's fragmenting of the universe, and surrealism followed Freud's subconscious elements, for instance. Postmodern art theory wants viewers to bring their own interpretation and frame of reference to a piece.
Traditional Theories in Music
While postmodern art may have elements of modernism in it, postmodern music is also a sharp reaction against modernism, but a piece is typically not both modern and postmodern. In the late 1970s composers like Philip Glass began to reject complex academic-style music composition, instead favoring simple and broken down textures and patterns. Postmodern music theory traditionally reacted against structural unity, blurred the lines between "highbrow" and "lowbrow" music, interpreted music in terms relative to cultural, social, political and economic factors, saw technology as an inherent part of music and music production and upheld eclecticism and plurality in music.
Traditional Theories in Literature
Postmodernism manifested itself similarly in literature. It shifted from the modernist styles before it. While its scope is wide, postmodern authors used similar techniques and themes in their works. Postmodern pieces typically had an ironic, playful tone and presence of black humor. While these elements existed in modernist literature, they became central tools for the postmodern writer. Postmodern pieces also tended to reference other works, as when writers like Margaret Atwood adapted fairy tales. Postmodern literature also mixed genres and broke the reader's willing suspension of disbelief by referencing itself. In Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five," for instance, plot focuses on an author writing a novel.
Theories after Postmodernism
With the wide scope and nature of postmodernism booming from the 1960s into the late 1990s, it's no surprise that the post-postmodern movement is similar in breadth, reacting to postmodern theories in areas of art, literature, music, criticism and philosophy. As of the time of publication, definitions of post-postmodernism vary, but consensus seems to state that the movement looks to mesh the "anything goes" and ironic nature of postmodernism with a sense of sincerity, transcendence, dialogue and performance in different ways and methods. Art, literature and film seek to immerse the viewer in a world perhaps of simply drawn characters in artificial conditions, but to make him feel for those characters, using ideas of beauty and love to provide a transcendent experience.
