CEHA 0906 - The Historical Avant Garde: The First Hipsters?

Institution:

Brown University

Subject:

Description:

How can one create authentic and socially critical works of art in an age of conspicuous cultural consumption? This question has plagued artists from the mid 19th century to the present and led to the development of experimental art. This course explores the historical development of avant garde art and its ambivalent relationship with the mainstream. We will be looking primarily at Impressionism, Symbolism, Naturalism, Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism, and Bauhaus in the works of artists such as Manet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Kandinsky, Dali, and many more. While visuals arts will be our primary focus, we will also look parallels with music, poetry, and film. One of the major themes throughout is the way these artists collapsed the boundaries between life and art, making their own selves into works of art. For this reason the course will explore not only their works of art, but also the bohemian, counter-cultural scenes in which the artists lived. In addition to analyzing and discussing works of art, students will read multiple art manifestos. These manifestos help clarify the aims, successes, and failures of the avant garde in producing authentic art. Throughout the course we will make comparisons to the contemporary world and inquire as to whether the avant garde still exists today. If so, who is it, which classical avant garde methods do they employ, and which methods might work better in the modern world

Credits:

0.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.brown.edu

Phone Number:

(401) 863-1000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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