Lecture date: 1990-10-11
Charles Jencks discusses his book The New Moderns, From Late to Neo-Modernism. Jencks argues that Modernism has reappeared in a new form for deep social and psychological reasons. As in previous revivals it dies in order to be reborn, and, having suffered a mortal blow from those he defines as the Post-Modernists, it now has a new life. Like all Modernisms of the last two hundred years it is based on continual destruction-construction cycles first clarified by Karl Marx. According to this theory, Modernism is the style of the bourgeoisie in its guilt-ridden moments and deconstructionist architecture, a paradigm of the destructive-creative schizophrenia of Modernism, provides the leading philosophical and stylistic edge of the movement. Charles Jencks taught at the AA for many years. He is an architect, designer, and author of numerous books.
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