What makes avant-garde avant-garde?

[Otto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Morris" <fqmorris at yahoo.com>
To: "Vincent A. Maeder" <vmaeder at cyhc-law.com>; <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2003 9:52 PM
Subject: RE: What makes avant-garde avant-garde?
>
> I think the problem is that innovation/invention do not necessarily denote
a
> "movement" or "revolution" which was a very conscious aspect of the French
and
> Russian Avant Gardes.  It has something to do with the defiance of an
accepted
> mode, and as such takes on the camaraderie of an army with its own
acceptable
> non-conformity (which really is funny because it creates its own new
> conformity).  This is very different than a "zeitgeist" which is usually
only
> recognizable after it has become a common mode, but begins with a "new"
> aesthetic.  Some would argue that the present zeitgeist is "Postmodernism"
> which is by no means a "movement."
>
> David Morris
>

The term "movement" has become questionable in itself. The very definition
of "Postmodernism" allows a variety of "movements," but they won't last for
long, the change in modes gets accelerated.

It's difficult to think of any artistic avant-garde these days.

Otto