October 12 - Early Avant-Garde

The Avant-Gardes and the new ideas that these groups brought to art, culture and society is very interesting and intriguing to me. I am particularly interested in the Dadaists, Constructivists and Surrealists because of their non-conventional approach to art making and the social aspect of the works. I also find it interesting to learn about their critique of the bourgeois society and its cultural conventions. Although some of the work may not be aesthetically appealing, the dialogue that occurs with the object and artist can make a viewer think differently about objects and its cultural meaning or its "non-meaning". When I say "non-meaning", I am referring to the appropriation of culturally savoured objects which are De-mystified through its change in position or physical alteration. For example Marcel Duchamp is knowned for his constructed sculptures which often critique the bourgeois society. Duchamp's Fountain (see image below) is an example of an object (urinal) that when constructed in a different position and setting becomes a silhouette of the Virgin Mary. Duchamp creates this dialogue with viewers and puts new meaning into objects, critiquing the bourgeois culture. The use of "low" art materials like found objects, paper, collage or photomontage is the medium to stimulate dialogue with the "high" artists or bourgeoisie. The Avant-Garde subjectivity seems to take new thoughts or theories of their day, bring it to the art work to create social change. All of these movements seem to inspire activist art in ways which are non-conventional and break all norms of society.

I enjoyed Paul Wood's The Revolutionary Avant-Gardes: Dada, Constructivism and Surrealism reading very much and wonder if the activist artists of our time, today are Avant-Garde. Or who is? and what is the new thought of our time that can stimulate a positive change in our society?


Click on Image to Enlarge.
http://www.studiolo.org/Mona/images/DuchampFountain.jpgciety.