Primitivism and the Avant-Garde Essay

The twentieth century is known for the establishment of primitivism and avant-garde. The principle of using colors freely instead of visually depicting an item, the importance of the creative process, and abstract painting are some of the concepts behind twentieth-century exploratory painting. According to Gauguin’s theories, which he referred to as Synthetism, shape and colors were combined with the object and thought, giving his works their enigmatic, mystical nature (University Name, n.d.). Modern primitivism, the inclination to view non-Western or pre-industrial civilizations as more pure and genuine than those of the West, is expressed in his work (University Name, n.d.). Due to its attractiveness in apparent simplicity and reluctance to change, pre-industrial societies are both praised and derided by primitivism. Meanwhile, Van Gough, in his works, desired to express eternity and existence through color.

Another approach to painting was expressed via the group of the Nabis. Sérusier, Maurice Denis, Pierre Bonnard, Paul Ranson, Aristide Mailol, Edouard Vuillard, Félix Vallotton, Ker-Xavier Roussel, and Armand Séguin were all a part of the collective (University Name, n.d.). The Nabis embodied the many passions and interests at the dawn of the twentieth century. Literary trends toward structured theory and lavish celebrations of mysterious ceremonies were two examples of this. The goal of modern painting has been substantially discussed by Denis and Sérusier (University Name, n.d.). Through ongoing work in architectural artwork, glass and decorative graphics, book illustration, poster styling, and set design for cutting-edge theatre by Ibsen, Maurice Maeterlinck, Strindberg, Wilde, and most notably, Alfred Jary, the Nabis aimed to synthesize all the arts.

Lastly, some Post-impressionists, including Gauguin and Van Gogh, favored working alone or with one or two other like-minded people. Meanwhile, others, such as the Nabis, worked to create new groups that might offer the spiritual and practical guidance that artists benefited from when associated with a conventional academy or alliance. When several painters who would later be connected with the style displayed their works together at the Groupe des Artistes Indépendanis in Paris in 1884, Neo-Impressionism, the nearly scientific application of colors developed by Seurat and Signac, made its debut (University Name, n.d.). Thus, the stylistic aim of the mentioned arts is to illuminate the unique nature of the modern world and undermine conventional approaches.

Reference

University Name. (n.d.). Primitivism and the Avant-Garde. Gauguin and Van Gogh.