Avant-Garde’s Evolution
Sometimes it seems like in today’s society, we don’t fight what we believe in anymore. It seems like caring is regarded for intimate family and relatives and the saying “it takes a village…” is an old bedtime fable our grandparents once read to us. But there was a time (in the Art World) being a rebel was considered Avant-garde.
The Avant-garde Movement was considered a means to break free from the constraints of the traditional art society that rebelling artists felt they were confined to. By pushing the boundaries beyond what was consider socially acceptable.
Known as radicals in their own movement, these artists used Avant-garde as a stepping stone to open the mind’s eye of the ignorant and defy the traditional ways in which to use their talents. They believed in pushing the envelope so far past the normal that their artistry went beyond simple understanding, to more of a concentrated thinking. Often being misunderstood, but not easily forgotten.
Advance guard better known as Avant-garde were a group of artists who were forward in their thinking and wanted to protect the things they believed in most. Their individuality and their voice! They took a stance to be different. To be the voice for the ones who couldn’t speak up for themselves. Although they were viewed as radicals these writers, poets, singers and painters fought to be original, because they had something to say.
Starting in 1850 and lasting for more than 100 years, the Avant-garde Movement hosted different artists like Van Gogh, Dali and Warhol. It evolved though the different genres because it went beyond the Movements itself. These talented artists refined their aesthetics into more of a religion than a definite style. They rocked the minds of the right-winged activists, by being defiant ‘to the man’. But, not all of the Avant-garde member’s artworks were consider risqué, to think of Van Gogh as being anything but proper is like seeing a puppy bully a mama cat. It happens, but it is still an unusual sight to behold.
In 1970 the Movement slowly phased out. People started to view extreme differences as normal and the artists involved seemed to be more about the money than the cause. Therefore making it jaded, corrupted and common to art buyers and collectors at that time.
Even-though time has changed the face and the deeper meaning of Avant-garde from its origin. The Movement lives on! By being set apart from the norm, and gravitating towards innovation. The
voice-that gives us something to say.
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I agree that the times are different than they used to be in the art world. So often now it’s all about making that dollar. When I think of the Avant-garde movement I think back to artist such as Joan Miro, Alberto Giacometti, Andre Masson and Roberto Matta. These are some of the artist from the Dada movement that forever changed the way the world will view art. Times were definitely different then, with World War I changing everyone’s perspective on life I suppose it was natural for their perspective to change on art. They thought that the old way of art had let them down, stopped working, so they had to innovative to make sure their voice was heard. I feel like they were making art to make their point, not to just make money.
ReplyDeletegreat, amazing site, love the write ups
ReplyDeleteAny new art movement is too risky: now art is 90% show business and between money and creating a new art line most artists will choose money... Could you imagine that some very famous and rich modern artists will change their style to find something new? Unfortunately, not.
ReplyDeleteThe avant garde was originally concerned with art for the sake of social progress: seeing the artist as the vanguard of a social reform movement. Over time however the term has come to be associated with movements concerned with "art for art's sake", concerned directly with aesthetic experience rather than social reform - the direct opposite of its original intentions. Surrealism claims to have transcended the avant-garde.
ReplyDelete