Lecture 10 Notes: Theory of the Avant-Garde (Bürger, 1974)

X. 6 May Peter Bürger, Theory of the Avant-garde [1974] -Art into life What is, for Peter Bürger, the historical avant-garde? Dada, Surrealism, Russian avant-garde after October revolution What are the common features? -Do not reject individual artistic techniques and procedures of earlier art… --But rather they reject that art in its entirety… -Radical break with tradition. -In their most extreme manifestations, their primary target is art as an institution such as it has developed in bourgeois society What about cubism? -Part of historical avant-garde because it questions linear perspective that had prevailed since the Renaissance…BUT it doesn’t share basic tendency: sublation of art in the praxis of life So, what is the institution against which dada, and the avant-garde, react? Important passages: -22/ distribution apparatus Status of art in bourgeoisie society as defined by the concept of autonomy -Bürger draws heavily upon Marx, and trains his basic premise along Adam smith’s theory of wealth and Marx’s theory of labor -Adam smith: it is not specific forms of labor but labor as such that creates wealth. 1 -Bürger extrapolates his theory of avantgarde from this: -17/ historical avant-garde movements all react against aestheticism What is aestheticism? Important passage: -22/ detached from the praxis of life. development of pure aesthetic Many art historians would like to marginalized avant-garde…but what is important about avant-garde? -Certain general categories of the work of art were first made recognizable in their generality by the avant-garde - Avant-garde sensitizes the recipient Bürger mentions the writings of Walter Benjamin. What is the ‘aura’ that he talks about? Important passage: -27/ unique phenomenon of distance uniqueness authenticity How is it lost? Important passage: -27/ through changes in techniques of reproduction Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) -Brilliant wit, his outspoken Marxism, and his revolutionary experiments in the theater have made Brecht a vital and controversial force in modern drama. 2 -In his early plays, Brecht experimented with dada and expressionism, but in his later work, he developed a style more suited his own unique vision. The Measures Taken [1930] Who are characters? -The vanguard What are scenes? What is plot? -Narrative recounts the measures taken to deal with an upstart What do you think this play is about? -Individual (young comrade) vs. collective -Don’t fall prey to pity, just follow party dictate -It’s about propaganda Important passages: -Machiavellian cynicism 18/ correcting mistakes -“The song of commodity” 24/ I don’t know what man is. All I know is his price But Brecht was a Marxist through and through. What is the purpose of his cynicism? -Brecht doesn’t celebrate commodification of man. He is stating that this is a fact, and he wants audience to react to this reality. -“change the world: it needs it” Important passage: 25/ what vileness should you not suffer to annihilate vileness?” 3 What are the classics? -Classics encompass the totality of misery If the agitators want to protect the classics, are they avant-garde? Individual (young comrade) vs. collective Important passage: 26/ comrade: their suffering is unendurable Agitators: suffering is not enough What can the collective do that the individual can’t? -Party will outlive the individual (28) -’in praise of the party’ (29) How does drama conclude? -Comrade agrees that he must be thrown into lime pit What makes him capitulate? 4