The Fallacy of the Avante Garde

Avante Garde

Originated amongst the art world in the 19th century (As they faced increasing pressure to escape realism and embrace deeper abstraction thanks to the advent of cheaply available photography replacing portraiture. And also as they were marginalized by the then established mainstream of artistic thought) the word refers to the vanguard or advanced scouts which roam ahead of the main body of an army, blazing a path for them to follow. In creative terms, the avante garde is a continuous movement towards novelty and innovation as artists try to push the boundaries of what art and the society it informs are willing to accept. It drives artist to attempt constantly bigger and better things. Because once something’s been done it’s no longer at the forefront of where culture should be headed.

However, what most creative types forget is that not only do they have to push the boundaries they have to get people to follow after them. It’s all well and good to create something amazing but the general public – at least, the ones interested in whatever it is they are creating – have to open up their wallets, so to speak, and pony up the dough. The metaphor of being scouts for the onrushing cultural army doesn’t work if there is no army behind you. Continuously trying to top yourself or the next creator leads you into a spiral not upwards but downwards as you run the Red Queen’s race. At a certain point you’re talking to artists about art rather than to people about meaning. The more sophisticated and refined things become the easier it is to focus on the craft rather than the message.

Art for art’s sake is all well and good, of course, but it still has to resonate with people or else it’s empty and hollow. Something I’d like to call “hype”.