New Out of Old, Modern from Primitive

Benjamin White

Francine Masiello

Comparative Literature 60AC

Blog Post

11/15/16

New Out of Old, Modern from Primitive

At its heart, modernism is about change. Prominent throughout the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, modernist writers and artists defied outdated forms and traditions, emphasizing progress into a new time. Modernism encompasses, or at least served to inspire, most of the art movements of the time: cubism, abstract expressionism, surrealism, minimalism, dadaism, and more. However, there is another  important art movement of the time that went largely unnoticed among the modernist fervor of the time. Although primitivism is relatively unheard of, this artistic movement from the early modernist period also focused on breaking traditional notions of art and had strong influences on the whole modernist movement.

Primitivism was an artistic movement from the late 19th century to the early 20th century that emphasized returning to a simpler way of life, in direct opposition to the recent and coming industrialization of the time. This movement built off of the philosophy that our lives and, by extension our art, had grown too complex and structured. These artists rejected the traditional forms and strict guidelines taught at the time through elite art schools such as the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. These rigid rules, they felt, limited true human expression by forcing it to conform to previously established art types and great works of the past. They frequently looked toward non-western art, particularly African, for inspiration and as examples of a simpler, purer art that represented a true flow of human spirit. They also pulled from the art of children and untrained artists, those untouched by artistic rules and conventions. They admired these types of art as the most primitive way of channeling human emotion.

A champion of this movement was the painter Paul Gauguin. Born in France, Gauguin worked as a stockbroker for most of his life. Although his initial work followed the impressionist movement of the time, he later adopted a more symbolist style, focusing more now on the emblematic side of life rather than seeking its literal representation as realist artists of the time attempted. In the mid-1880s he began frequent collaboration and close friendship with Van Gogh. What makes him so representative of the primitivist movement however, is when he decided to completely abandon his family and life in Europe to live in French Polynesia in 1891. This move was driven by his increasing desire to rid himself of the perverted reality of modern society and live a more “natural” life. There, he painted almost exclusively local women and landscapes, continuing his symbolist style and spiritual focus. In the end, Gauguin became synonymous with true artistic freedom and served to inspire another generation of artists to break away from impressionism and work with non-Western subjects.

Gauguin: Mahan no atua (Day of the Gods)

Gauguin: Manao Tupapau (Spirit Of The Dead Watching)

Gauguin: Where do we come from?  What are we?  Where are we going

Another famous example of primitivism influence was Pablo Picasso’s famous Les Demoiselles D'Avignon. Beginning in the late 19th century, the European cultural elite, including artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, began to take a great interest in non-Western art as African, Native American, and Micronesian artifacts were displayed in European museums, noting the striking plainness and simplicity of their style. These displays along with the work of Paul Gauguin shown at at the Salon d'Automne in Paris in 1903 and 1906 is said to have had a profound impact on Picasso, inciting him into his “African Period” from 1906-1909.

Gauguin's "The Moon and the Earth" was one in particular that caught Picasso's attention at the Salon d'Automne

After viewing African art at the Palais du Trocadéro Picasso experienced a "revelation", leading to the creation of the masterpiece Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. This work is considered to many a proto-cubist piece, bridging the gap between his African and Cubism periods.

Pablo Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Matisse: Dance

Obviously primitivism had a tremendous impact on Modernism. Paul Gauguin was a vanguard for artistic freedom and breaking free of tradition. The work of Gauguin and other primitivists led the artistic community in evaluating the world by more perspectives than the classical, academic guidelines and solely Western views that it was currently seen. This impact is particularly seen with Picasso and his creation of Cubism, which places a tremendous emphasis on differing perspectives of a single subject. Cubism, in turn, had strong impacts on prominent modernist writers like Gertrude Stein. In many ways, Primitivism was the precursor of Modernism.

Discussion

1.) In what other ways may have 20th century artists been influenced by primitive art?

2.) How are the important aspects of primitivism reflected in modernist works?

Bibliography

Epstein., By Jacob. "Primitivism and Primitive Art." Primitivism, Primitive Art: Definition, Characteristics. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

"Gauguin: Primitivism and Synthetic Symbolism." Gauguin: Primitivism and Synthetic Symbolism. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

"Outsider Art Fair." Outsider Art Fair. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

"Paul Gauguin Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works." The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

"Primitivism and Cubism - Boundless Open Textbook." Boundless. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016