Research Report by Joshua Felsinger

Abstract:

Lyotard, Jean-Francois. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1984. The Merriam Webster's dictionary defines the postmodern as "of, relating to, or being an era after a modern one." The definition is accurate to a degree, but it barely scratches the surface of Postmodernism. Jean-Francois Lyotard's article is still positing the same question, what exactly is Postmodernism? The author goes about exploring the term through an examination of the movements in literature. Lyotard focuses on the rise of new technologies and capitalism as major causes of destabilizing reality so that realism “stands somewhere between Academicism and kitsch (75).”

Description:

The article in question never accredits any particular person or date for the emergence of Postmodern theory.  Jean-Francois Lyotard's paper on the postmodern was originally published in 1979 and it was not translated into English until 1984.  Although George Orwell's vision of a totalitarian future was far from an accurate depiction of the actual year 1984, there was nonetheless a surge in new technologies, including those of surveillance.  Not to imply a text's importance is based on its translation into the English language.  Rather, the mentioning of the dates is meant to draw attention to the fact that scholars have remained intent on exploring the postmodern throughout the years.

Lyotard's exploration of the postmodern begins with “A Demand,” wherein he calls in to question the method of the day (71).  To Quote Lyotard's opening line, “This is a period of slackening- I refer to the color of the times.  From every direction we are being urged to put an end to experimentation in the arts and elsewhere (71).”  The author then denotes a list of different scholars who believe the future of art lies in a return to Realism and classical structures.  Lyotard then positions himself as the defendant of the postmodern by examining the socio-political contexts belonging to the shift from Realism in art.  Jean-Francois then goes on to say that “Realism, whose only definition is that it intends to avoid the question of reality implicated in that of art (75).”

While the article is chiefly concerned with enlightening the reader on what exactly the postmodern is, it also elicits questions as we see by the statement, “A work can become modern only if it is first postmodern.  Postmodernism thus understood is not Modernism at its end but in the nascent state, and this state is constant (77).”   The previous quote can been seen as an illumination as to why Lyotard did not focus his study solely from that of a historical perspective, because he believes the postmodern to be constant.  Near the end of the text the author finally defines the postmodern as “that which, in the modern, puts forward the unpresentable in presentation itself; that which denies itself the solace of good forms, the consensus of a taste which would make it possible to share collectively the nostalgia for the unattainable (81).”

Commentary:

If after the previous quote the relevance of a paper on the postmodern to a project based on the production and examination of tonal patterns created from Shakespearian sonnets is still unclear, hopefully I will be able to illuminate its application.  Since there is no literature explicitly focused on the process of transforming literature into music, I was forced to search other preexisting theories about art for relevance.  “The Textones: Shakespearean Sonnet” project lacks an affinity with any other piece of work, hence I believe we can consider it to be denying “itself the solace of good forms (81).”  “Good forms” in this case alluding to classical forms.  While Lyotard's introduction focuses on those who call for a revival of Classicism, it becomes clear that he is intent on opposing this idea.  In his own words the author accounts that “Under the general demand for slackening and for appeasement, we can hear the mutterings of the desire for a return of terror, for the realization of the fantasy to seize reality.  The answer is: Let us wage a war on totality; let us be witnesses to the unpresentable; let us activate the differences and save the honor of the name (82).”  The quote certainly appears to be a battle cry for the emergence of new mediums where hopefully our group can contribute through our unique analysis of literature as tonal patterns.  In essence, “The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge” offers our group an opportunity to rationalize our radical methodology.

Although there is rational for the text's application, there is also disjuncture when trying to connect it with the project.  While Lyotard's paper explores the postmodern through the lenses of the artist, philosopher and writer, he never connects his ideology with music.  Though this presents a small problem it still seems logical that music can be included under the overall banner of art and hence relevant.  As stated previously, there is no literature, to my knowledge which is directly engaged with a similar conversion of artistic mediums.  Thus finding a work that was one-hundred percent relevant was near impossible.

Resources for Further Study:

Lyotard, Jean-Francois.  The Postmodern Condition: A Report on     Knowledge. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1984.

    71, 75, 77, 81, 82.

"Merriam-Webster Online". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. February 20, 2007.<http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/postmodern>.

Deleuze, Gilles and Felix Guattari. “Rhizome” in A Thousand plateaus.     Capitalism and Schizophrenia. Brian Massumi, trans. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1987.