pre class jameson

The beginning on the essay begins with the quote, “The last few years have been marled by an inverted millenarianism, in which premonitions of the future, catastrophic or redemptive, have been replaced by senses of the end of this or that: taken together, all these perhaps constitute what is increasingly called postmodernism.” This idea that postmodernism is the start of a new era what began by huge events happening is a theme throughout the piece. Architecture is then discussed, and Jameson says “modifications in aesthetic production are most dramatically visible.” Expression is something that can be seen a lot in postmodernism especially when pertaining to art. Jameson critically analyzes Van Gogh’s paintings. “Peasant Shoes” can be read two different ways. One way is very symbolic and the other reworks and transforms what you initially see. This way of thinking is what we see with expression in postmodernism. I liked that this piece talked about art a lot and looked at specific pieces of art and analyzed them individually, but then also looked at them critically as a whole. I particularly liked the discussion of “the Scream.” This painting is very symbolic and can be interpreted in many different ways. The painting shows someone who doesn’t have ears screaming, but because it’s a painting the visualization allows us to see the scream, but as for the noise, it is something we must just imagine through the way the painting expresses it. This I think is a main theme of what Jameson discusses, being able to read things through their expression and symbolism.