Major Movements and Characteristics of Avant-Garde Literature

Avant-Garde Literature: Defining Characteristics

It is often difficult to distinguish between Modernism and Novecentismo. Avant-garde is defined as an art movement characterized by a radical reaction against prior artistic traditions.

Key Features of Avant-Garde Art

• Internationalism: A reaction against the nationalism and social concerns of earlier literature.
• Antitraditionalism: A complete dismissal of inherited artistic conventions.
• Disclaiming any illusion of reality.
• Movements often rely on shock value and do not aspire to permanence.
• A relentless search for originality and the opening of new artistic paths.
• It is an intellectual art form that often neglects or suppresses emotions.
• It is considered a true art of its time.
• Often described as ugly, inhuman, and devoid of feelings.
• A strong emphasis on spontaneity.
• The main theme explored is contradiction.
• Avant-garde art frequently utilizes humor and metaphor.
• Absolute freedom of the artist is paramount.

Major Avant-Garde Movements

Futurism

The first major avant-garde movement, founded by Marinetti. Its central themes are speed, risk, and violence.

Reforms and Spirit of Futurism

• Reforms: Destruction of syntax, suppression of the self, and primacy of the imagination.
• Spirit: Hatred of intelligence, rupture with the past, optimism, and vitality.

Cubism

Cubism emerged around 1907, influenced by painters like Picasso. Its main literary representative was Apollinaire.

Characteristics of Cubism

• Decomposing reality.
• Combining different art forms (e.g., painting and literature).
• Removal of descriptive elements.
• Fragmentation and spontaneity.
• Topics covered include both positive and negative aspects of reality.

Dadaism

Dada was born in Switzerland. It is characterized by a spirit of absolute independence and freedom for the artist.

Themes and Reforms of Dadaism

• Themes: Creating expressive words effective for their sound, and mockery/satire of the establishment.
• Reforms: Abolition of logic, valuation of humor, and the discovery of the absurd.

Spanish and Latin American Vanguardia

Ramón Gómez de la Serna

Ramón Gómez de la Serna incorporated traits from Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, and Surrealism.

His defining characteristics include a shared antipathy toward certain established art and literature movements, focusing on reality observed from unusual viewpoints, and works removed from sentimentality. Among Ramón's key contributions is the creation of a new literary genre, which he called the Greguería.

Ultraism

Ultraism appeared in Spain in the 1920s.

Features of Ultraism

• Integration of the arts.
• Replacing punctuation with mathematical signs.
• Exaltation of the modern world.
• Renewed use of metaphor.

Creationism

Creationism began in Paris, founded by the Chilean poet Vicente Huidobro.

Core Principles of Creationism

Its core principles involve creating a reality that makes sense for itself, and viewing the poem as an autonomous creation, much like nature makes a tree.

Surrealism

This art movement was born in France around 1920. Surrealism sought the liberation of human beings from psychological and societal repression.