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.
One year ago in March, to protect our students and teachers from a new coronavirus, the Seattle Artist League moved our classes online. The virus was declared a national emergency, and we went into quarantine. We have now been in quarantine for thirteen months. Through this year, we have met each other online to draw, …
“Almost everyone can remember in grade school art class placing a sheet of paper over the face of a coin or some other textured object and rubbing it with a crayon. I employed this same method – known as frottage – to create the following portraits. For Beckett’s likeness, I had embossed plates made of …
[image_with_animation image_url=”9194″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] In the 1600’s, wood was a limited resource in the Dutch Republic (now the Netherlands), so artists either switched to canvas, or scavenged for wood panels. Rembrandt painted some of his works on mahogany panels from used shipping containers, still with the label and handles on the back. Info …
[image_with_animation image_url=”7600″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Ralph Steadman Draw, paint, collage a reproduction of a famous artwork in history with your pet’s head replacing the figure’s. As much as you can, stay true to the original composition (unless you have a pet giraffe and have chosen the Mona Lisa). The original masterwork can be sculpture, …
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.
[image_with_animation image_url=”2143″ alignment=”” animation=”None[image_with_animation image_url=”2144″ alignment=”” animation=”None
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
Related Posts
Online Anniversary Show; Still Life
One year ago in March, to protect our students and teachers from a new coronavirus, the Seattle Artist League moved our classes online. The virus was declared a national emergency, and we went into quarantine. We have now been in quarantine for thirteen months. Through this year, we have met each other online to draw, …
30SAL Challenge: Frottage
“Almost everyone can remember in grade school art class placing a sheet of paper over the face of a coin or some other textured object and rubbing it with a crayon. I employed this same method – known as frottage – to create the following portraits. For Beckett’s likeness, I had embossed plates made of …
Rembrandt’s panels: “This Way Up”
[image_with_animation image_url=”9194″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] In the 1600’s, wood was a limited resource in the Dutch Republic (now the Netherlands), so artists either switched to canvas, or scavenged for wood panels. Rembrandt painted some of his works on mahogany panels from used shipping containers, still with the label and handles on the back. Info …
SAL Challenge Day 8: Pets in Art History
[image_with_animation image_url=”7600″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Ralph Steadman Draw, paint, collage a reproduction of a famous artwork in history with your pet’s head replacing the figure’s. As much as you can, stay true to the original composition (unless you have a pet giraffe and have chosen the Mona Lisa). The original masterwork can be sculpture, …