Description

One of Literary Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025, *How to Be Avant-Garde* explores the fascinating story of twentieth-century artists who sought to break down the boundaries of art by merging it with everyday life.

Dutch artist and De Stijl cofounder Theo van Doesburg famously declared, “Art has poisoned our life.” In response to the turbulence of the twentieth century—particularly the devastation of World War I—avant-garde artists and writers aimed to dismantle traditional notions of art, integrating it into daily existence. This book follows the emergence of these radical movements, tracing their pioneering figures and revolutionary ideas.

From Paris and New York to Zurich, Moscow, and Berlin, avant-garde thinkers redefined art, pushing beyond traditional canvases and conventional forms. Art historian Morgan Falconer begins with Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, the energetic founder of Futurism, whose manifesto celebrated speed, destruction, and modernity, influencing avant-garde movements across Europe. The Dadaists, including Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings, cast aside traditional art in favor of political cabaret, while the Surrealists turned to techniques designed to explore the unconscious mind.

The book delves into the Russian Constructivists, who blended art with advertising and utopian ideals, and De Stijl, exemplified by Piet Mondrian’s geometric abstractions. The Bauhaus school went further, dissolving boundaries between art, architecture, and design. Later, the Situationists rejected art altogether in favor of political activism, inspiring the Paris student protests of 1968.

*How to Be Avant-Garde* offers an in-depth look at the interconnected lives of these innovative creators—their visions of a transformed world, their provocative debates, and the unconventional works that defied traditional classification. Featuring 13 black-and-white illustrations, this book is a compelling exploration of some of the most radical artistic movements of the twentieth century.