Lyotard

In the article "Answering the Question: What is Postmodernism?" Lyotard discusses the relationship between modernism and postmodernism. He believes that postmodernism is part of the modern. "A work can only be modern if it is first postmodern" (page 44). This quote reminded me of Jenks term "tradition reinterpreted." Tradition reinterpreted is a relationship between the past and present. This represents Lyotard because modernity reflects postmodernity, just as the present represents the past. Lyotard claims that the difference between modern aesthetics and postmodern aesthetics is the unpresentable. He says "modern aesthetics in an aesthetic of the sublime, although a nostalgic one. It allows the unpresentable to be put forward only as the missing contents; but the form because of its recognizable consistency continues an offer to the reader or the viewer matter for solace or pleasure." (Page 46)