To move forward, to advance the Avant-garde
believe in progress. The 'cutting edge' in a race
which is characterised by the development of
science. For example at one time they both existed
together as somewhat elite occupations out of the
reach of individuals of average schooling.
. Scholers theorised, hypothesised and nobly addressed
painting hand in hand with science. We can see the
beginnings of this as far back as the Renaissance.
A good example is the work of the 'Universal Man,'
Mr Leonardo Da Vinci or later in the 19th century
with the works of
Impressionist artists such as Manet.
It was only within the last century that we realised
the existance of the A-garde. Perhaps this is because
our education system has improved to a stage where anyone
has access to a proper schooling regardless of status and other
prejudises. So from the viewpoint of mainstream society
we realised that there was in existance a group of artists
and scientists who were experimental and innovative.
We labelled them the A-Garde. Their work was beyond
the understanding of general society.
They were in a minority challenging the accepted norm
and status-quo creating the roots of
The A-Garde has existed as long as society but it has
taken many years to be finally acknowledged.
It exists only as a product of its time.
as time is unravelling, so what
was regarded as Avant-Garde 100 years ago normally cannot
be thought of as such now. A word that springs
to mind when thinking about this is 'Pathfinder.'
They were responsible for guiding the art world in
a particular direction. However this has caused many
problems for the Traditionalists, and the Establishment as
they were resistant to change.
Today there is a new
art movement called Stuckism who primarily embrace
the tradition of painting subjectively and figuratively
noted for being anti-avant-garde.
They have challenged many an Art Establishment for being
vangaurdist being predudist, for example
only showing works from particular movements
such as Conceptualism. Individual artists who have there
own unique voice painting by choice traditional figurative
subject matter fall into the Post Modernist category but
have little power against the choices of the Establishment.
The challenge arises when a group of Post Modernists share
the same views, get together thus becoming a movement
It is my opinion that the very act of challenging the
Establishment as a movement can be argued as being
Perhaps the answer in this decade is to redefine what is
actually Avant-Garde. The question is, is Post Modernism
a kind of elite branch of the Avant-Garde? Somehow revising
particulars of movements putting them together,
rearranging, reshuffling them like a virtual historical
The result being the creation of a revised movement which
is refreshing and new?
Back to the top.