The Cultural Logic of "Postmodernism"

"The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism" by Jameson clearly is a piece that is intended to draw on the differences between modern and postmodern. Of interest is how Jameson decides to proceed in differentiating both terms, a difference that comes about culturally, aesthetically, mechanically, and politically. It is clear Jameson is not interested in typically defining the difference between two things in the traditional sense, “A” is larger than “B” for example, but Jameson instead thinks of this “break” as the “waning or extinction of the hundred year old modern movement.”

What I believe to be Jameson’s main argument is to prove to his readers through speaking about “postmodernism” culturally, aesthetically, as a means of production, and politically, that it is essentially a dominant form indicative of late capitalism. Dominant because of its gaining popularity and acceptance, and a “form” simply because it is a simulacrum that takes different shapes and can be seen across society in different situations. It is important to focus on Jameson’s terminology and his reference to “late capitalism”, not “modern”, “postmodern”, or “contemporary” capitalism.

If Jameson could propose one motivating question at the end of his piece I believe Jameson would desperately ask what exactly is the defining line between “modern” and “postmodern”. Or at what precise moment do we look at architecture, art, sculptures, and say that is “postmodern” when the “modern” period is so recent and fresh in everyone’s minds. The problem Jameson identifies is essentially how “postmodernism” has become a dominant form of late capitalism in which “form” takes the shape of culture, art, means of production, and politics. It is essentially a problem because it is redefining capitalism in every sense of the word without necessarily giving a glimpse of what the end result will be.

Question 1: If Jameson is not an art historian but instead a literary critique why is that he comes off as being anti-American in a piece that should solely center around a critique of postmodernism: “Yet this is the point at which I must remind the reader of the obvious; namely, that this whole global, yet American, postmodern culture is the internal and superstructural expression of a whole new wave of American military and economic domination throughout the world: in this sense, as throughout class history, the underside of culture is blood, torture, death, and terror.

Question 2: What would Jameson call today’s “modern” art if he was to think of “postmodernism” as only a short phase?