Triumph of the Avant Garde

“Triumph of the avant-garde” The term “avant-garde” was originally used in reference to the advancement of a military unit. In the late 18th century and into the 19th century, a movement began in art and architecture that was intended to do just that. Artists were beginning to move forward in their expression of ideas. They were trying new techniques, and testing the boundaries of what was acceptable. These avant-garde artists were beginning to challenge art itself and its very definition. Up to his point, art was about expression, but the expression was limited by rules and governed by the very specific influences of period. For the purposes of success and acceptance, most artists up to this point conformed to the “norm”. Art was about making a specific product that was pleasing to the eye. But during the late 18th century, political and social changes were also changing the way artists were expressing themselves. New techniques were being introduced. In fact, much of art became less about the final product, and more about the technique and process itself. Artists were being less influenced by trends, and more influenced by the desire for social and political change. Artists were also beginning to focus more on expressing their own personal thoughts, feelings, and ideas. A great example of this is the synthetism used by Paul Gauguin. With it, he synthesized the observation of subjects in nature with his own personal feelings about the subjects. An example of this is Mahana no atua (Day of the God). Gauguin had taken a trip to Tahiti. When setting out on his trip, he envisioned a country rich with culture and tradition. He found instead a country that was losing its culture. Upon his return to Paris, he created Mahana no atua from memory. He divided the painting into three horizontal sections. In the top section (the least abstract of the three), Gauguin depicts the statue of a god with Tahitians on the beach behind it. In the