Post-it Culture: Postmodernism and Art and Design Education

This paper examines the phenomenon of Post-modernism and its growing relationship to art and design education and its limitations in that context. It examines how and why an authentic architectural style developed into a late twentieth century philosophy, was exploited by visual artists, and was then applied to art and design education. The paper looks at a range of issues and concepts coterminous with the growth of post-modern thought, particularly the idea of posthistoricism. In that sense it posits Post-modernism as one narrative amongst a number. The language of Post-modernism is also explored, as is the idea of a ‘postmedium age’. It is then suggested, using the argument of Post-modernism itself, that art and design education for the next millennium depends upon the recognition of the need for a range of new narratives.