The Situationist International (SI) was an international organization of social revolutionaries made up of avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political theorists, prominent in Europe from its formation in 1957 to its dissolution in 1972. (Wikipedia)
At their worst, the Situationists could be said to have removed the requirement of specific skill and techniques from art, resulting in the common insult “my kid could do that.” At their best, and something I deeply appreciate, was that they believed art was something everyone could do, it wasn’t just for the elites. The situationists believed that art should be part of daily life, and they played a big part in making art inclusive, so that community based schools like the League can exist today.
League teacher Jon Patrick responded to my thought with this:
“I think you hit it pretty well on the head with the situationists Ruthie, but to put it into context, Europe was still emerging from “the big one” – WWII and an amount of human destruction humans had never before witnessed or unleashed. The aftermath is commonly known as the age of anxiety and along with it came a great amount of distrust for all things socially traditional or elitist, even. They were in many ways the the first real punks / DIY’er’s / political revolutionaries and instigators of the 1960’s counter-culture.”
The IS developed a critique of capitalism based on a mixture of Marxism and surrealism. Leading figure of the movement Guy Debord identified consumer society as the Society of the Spectacle in his influential 1967 book of that title. In the field of culture situationists wanted to break down the division between artists and consumers and make cultural production a part of everyday life.
It combined two existing groupings, the Lettrist International and the International Union for a Pictorial Bauhaus. As well as writer and filmmaker Guy Debord, the group also prominently included the former CoBrA painter Asger Jorn, and the former CoBrA artist Constant. British artist Ralph Rumney was a co-founder of the movement.
Situationist ideas played an important role in the revolutionary Paris events of 1968. The IS was dissolved in 1972.
José Guadalupe Posada (1851–1913) was a Mexican printmaker who used calavera illustrations to make political satires and cultural critiques. He was particularly influential in the role of printmaking as a medium of social and political engagement. His popular satire was printed in inexpensive newspapers and periodicals, and was accessible to the lower classes. His prolific …
[image_with_animation image_url=”9160″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Siobhán Wilder, Indian Alley, oil on panel, 10×8″ League painter Siobhán Wilder was chosen for an online critique through Clara Lieu’s Art Prof site, which now offers critiques for artists. Clara Lieu is an adjunct professor at RISD and the critique was given by Lieu’s associate Lauryn Welch, painter and performance …
[image_with_animation image_url=”8162″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] They started as doodles of cups on legal pads, these thoughtful experiments in color and line by Lendy Hensley. The color concepts were inspired by colorist Josef Albers, the linear compositions were inspired by potter Gwyn Hanssen Pigott. Lendy combined the two, plus quite a bit of her own …
[image_with_animation image_url=”7459″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Andrea Myers Find an old catalogue, magazine, maps, or a stack of used paper. Working with an x-acto blade, or tearing by hand, remove paper to create windows to previous layers. If using a blade, slip a cutting mat or piece of matboard between the pages. Take a picture …
Situationist International
The Situationist International (SI) was an international organization of social revolutionaries made up of avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political theorists, prominent in Europe from its formation in 1957 to its dissolution in 1972. (Wikipedia)
At their worst, the Situationists could be said to have removed the requirement of specific skill and techniques from art, resulting in the common insult “my kid could do that.” At their best, and something I deeply appreciate, was that they believed art was something everyone could do, it wasn’t just for the elites. The situationists believed that art should be part of daily life, and they played a big part in making art inclusive, so that community based schools like the League can exist today.
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League teacher Jon Patrick responded to my thought with this:
“I think you hit it pretty well on the head with the situationists Ruthie, but to put it into context, Europe was still emerging from “the big one” – WWII and an amount of human destruction humans had never before witnessed or unleashed. The aftermath is commonly known as the age of anxiety and along with it came a great amount of distrust for all things socially traditional or elitist, even. They were in many ways the the first real punks / DIY’er’s / political revolutionaries and instigators of the 1960’s counter-culture.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncH0-q9OXco
From Tate:
The IS developed a critique of capitalism based on a mixture of Marxism and surrealism. Leading figure of the movement Guy Debord identified consumer society as the Society of the Spectacle in his influential 1967 book of that title. In the field of culture situationists wanted to break down the division between artists and consumers and make cultural production a part of everyday life.
It combined two existing groupings, the Lettrist International and the International Union for a Pictorial Bauhaus. As well as writer and filmmaker Guy Debord, the group also prominently included the former CoBrA painter Asger Jorn, and the former CoBrA artist Constant. British artist Ralph Rumney was a co-founder of the movement.
Situationist ideas played an important role in the revolutionary Paris events of 1968. The IS was dissolved in 1972.
[image_with_animation image_url=”2140″ alignment=”” animation=”None
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