The European Avant Garde: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, 20th Century

3 units

The first half of the twentieth century witnessed the emergence of Artistic movements characterized by revolt against tradition, emphasis on radical experimentation, and redefinition of the art work. This course will familiarize students with the avant-garde's main currents: Italian Futurism, English Vorticism, Russian Constructivism, stateless Dadaism, and French Surrealism. We will ask ourselves how to define the avant-garde, how it is related to modernity, and whether its aesthetic is necessarily political. Texts include Futurist Manifestos, Cendrars's Trans-Siberian Prose, Stein's Tender Buttons, Breton's Nadja. We will also examine artworks such as Duchamp's Large Glass and films Buñuel's Un Chien Andalou.