Avant-Gard: Revolutionizing Art, Shocking Ideas, Controversial Movements - Free Essay Example

Introduction

Avant Gard represents new and experimental forms of art, which are usually symbols of progress, exploration, and revolution. Avant Gard is usually a rebellion against conventional art forms. Any literary movement that develops new and surprising ideas can be considered as Avant Gard. The Avant Gard literary movements are radical in nature with ideas that are shocking and sometimes controversial (Poggioli, 1981). Some literary movements such as futurism, surrealism, and Dadaism went against the then accepted ideas and aimed at shifting perception and reinterpretation of reality. This paper discusses how Avant Gard writing challenges the conventional forms of representation.

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Futurism

Futurism, as represented in the futurist manifesto, is an avant-garde movement with radical ideas that challenge the then conventional art. Futurism celebrates speed and danger while glorifying war and technology. It was rebellious, advocating for both political and artistic revolution in radical ways.

Futurism aimed at depicting the thrills of new technology and embracing it, and its dangers futurists differed from conventional art by denouncing the past since they viewed the past as an oppressive force. In futurism, a rejection of the past and celebration of the modernity and technology was encouraged. As an avant-garde art form, futurism advocated for the shift of perception and moving from the traditional notions about art and adopting the new and energetic machine age.

Conventional Art

While conventional art then was more nostalgic and preferred to represent nature and established order, futurism was often portrayed in urban landscapes and new technology such as cars, trains, and planes and the unnatural speeds which could be achieved with the new technological contrivances. Futurism portrayed modernity in conjunction with the glorification of speed and violence. The people working in modern industries believed they would advance change.

Futurist poems varied from the established ideals of poetry. Ideals such as syntax and punctuation were ignored in favor of free language and lack of metrics allowing free expression. There was also a combination of imagery and vivid descriptions. Deep-rooted traditions were discredited using parody and various devaluation techniques such as when museums are described as covering Italy like cemeteries. Instead of being nostalgic of the past, the movement described finding beauty in modern artifacts of industry and technology(Marinetti, 1973).

Futurism rejected conventional art terming it as intellectualized and too static. It represented a constant dynamism, as seen in the manifesto, where they hope to be replaced by younger men with radical ideas in a decade.

The futurist imagery celebrated the power and the speed of the modern machines, which were rarely depicted in the traditional art forms. The movement was radical, a common characteristic of avant-garde writing. It was radical by glorifying violence and war, seeing war as a potential source of freedom and admiration of militarism.

Surrealism

Surrealism, as represented in the surrealist manifestos, is an avant-garde movement with the core elements of the avant-garde, such as radicalism and going against widely accepted existing forms. The manifestos proposed ideals that were supposed to change the world. Surrealism proposed the freeing of the mind from the past and daily reality in order to change a person’s perspective and see the world in new ways. Freeing the mind from the traditional ways of thinking presented a challenge to the existing conventional writing and representation, which was based on traditional values and ways of thinking. The surrealists encouraged people to escape the mundane ways of thinking limited by traditions and reality (Breton, 1924)

Surrealism is a direct challenge to rationalism, which was widely accepted and conventional. Surrealism viewed conventional art forms and ways of thinking as incapable of solving the problems facing human existence. Surrealism wanted freedom from reality, therefore exploring ways of thinking without the need to conform to reality. Surrealism in generals revolted against reason, aesthetics, and morals. As per surrealism, concerns about these qualities restricted the ways of thinking, hindering the expression of thoughts.

Surrealism rejected conventional thinking advocating for surreal thinking, just like a child's thinking, which is full of imagination coupled with reality. Surrealism aimed at reawakening imagination and capturing the unconscious thoughts that are not regulated by rational thinking. Surrealism aimed at freeing thoughts from censorship by social reality(Breton, 1972).

Surrealism writing in an effort to free itself from censorship of social reality used automatic writing without structured thoughts, the writer would write their thoughts without modifying them to comply with rational, aesthetic, or moral expectations. Surrealist writing is, therefore, irrational and features the unconscious dream and fantasy. There is a use of juxtaposition of imagery. As an avant-garde art form, it features revolution.

Dadaism

Dadaism is another avant-garde art form. The movement emerged as an opposition to the First World War rejecting nationalism that caused the war. As an avant-garde art, it encouraged the abandoning of the established artistic norms. The movement also involved spontaneity and improvisation.

Dadaist writing contained mild obscenities, therefore, challenging the conventional ways of representation. The writing also contained humor in the form of visual puns. The writing was absurd, paradoxical, and opposed harmony. Dadaism represented artistic freedom by rejecting cultural standards and the traditional definition of art. This rebellion from the norm can be seen in fractured poems, scrambled syntax, and scattered words common in Dadaism.

Dadaist writing featured emotional reactions, revolt, and protest. The writing opposed established protocols and created shock value by challenging the accepted cultural values. The writing also featured irrationalism challenging the then conventional representation, which relied on rationality (Ball, 1996).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Futurism, surrealism, and Dadaism are avant-garde movements that were radical at the time of their introduction, going against what were widely accepted forms and ideas. They represented a revolution with ideas that were sometimes shocking and controversial. Their ideas felt unfamiliar and had new methods that challenged the conventional modes of representation. Dadaism and surrealism embraced irrationalism, which was advocated by conventional art forms. Futurism rejected the past and advocated for the celebration of speed and power of modern technology. All three movements were a rejection of the cultural standards and the traditional definition of art.

References

Ball, H. (1996). Dada manifesto. The flight out of time: A Dada diary.

Breton, A. (1972). The Second Surrealist Manifesto. La Révolution surréaliste, 12, 1-17.

Breton, A. (1924). First surrealist manifesto. Surrealism, edited by Patrick Waldberg, 6672.

Marinetti, F. T. (1973). The founding and manifesto of futurism 1909. Futurist manifestos, 19-24.

Poggioli, R. (1981). The Theory of the Avant-garde. Harvard University Press.