I believe that avant-garde is a way to describe something that is acknowledge but not yet appreciated. When this term became popular during the 1960’s, many people were starting to become intrigued by the concept of the new art that was emerging, however, many people didn’t quite understand the importance behind what they were viewing. This is why modern art was popular, yet not perceived to its full potential beauty, through the idea of avant-garde. I think that avant-garde in terms of modern art has a lot of negative stigma attached to it for that exact reason. On the other hand, a lot of the modern art that has come into play throughout history has helped shape what we view today as modernistic pieces of artwork. When I think of avant-garde, I think of a period of new development, with changes to what is normally considered acceptable by artists, while they are able to bend the rules to their benefit. Through this idea of exploring new techniques and presenting new methods, they have been targeted as inspirational artists of their time and helped put their name on the map.
In the clips regarding Monet, there were many new aspects that he incorporated into his paintings that made the public question the meaning behind his motives. This example of a painter ties in perfectly with the idea of avant-garde since it is a fresh new outtake on how artists were creating artwork. During this time frame, since many artists didn’t use the model of nudes to illustrate in paintings (unless it was symbolic, religious, etc.) Monet stood out as an example of a rejected artist. Many people didn’t understand the painting, which doesn’t necessarily make it an inappropriate piece, rather it makes it more interesting to the viewers, as they should be trying to wrap their minds around it and make their own interpretations. Not only does the painting have a defined story or meaning, but it directly incorporates the viewer into the piece, it makes the audience feel attached as if they are a counterpoint to the entire piece. That personalization was not yet socially understood or accepted during this time, so rejection of this piece was evident. Most artists in later generations who were considered avant-garde have come so far and made such a remarkable name for themselves, that it was only bound to happen with Monet as well, which did. Thus, making Monet one of the best examples of the term avant-garde since his work was severely underappreciated during his time, especially since he tried to introduce new elements into a society that didn’t understand.
