Underground art
Encyclopedia
Underground art, as with underground music
and underground film
, is a term that seeks to describe art forms that are aloof to the mainstream art world
, are illegal, taboo
, unconventional, rebellious or revolutionary
. Underground art usually challenges or rejects the cultural status quo in some way, and may involve extreme doses of originality and experimentation in terms of its content, form or context.
Practitioners of underground art tend to distance themselves with the standards and traditions of mainstream culture, yet mainstream institutions, the mass media and corporations frequently try to associate themselves with so-called cutting edge and underground
movements as a way of appealing to young and frequently jaded audiences. Art that is said to be underground may be made mostly in secret, have other artists as its primary audience, or maintain a strong cult following
. Some art forms that may be considered underground include graffiti
and street art, punk
related art and design, protest art
, art coming out of the international squat
and intentional communities movements and some forms of performance art
.
The term underground art can be considered paradoxical in the sense that as soon as specific examples of such art are defined or publicized, they cease to be truly underground anymore.
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
and underground film
Underground film
An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre, or financing.-Definition and history:The first use of the term "underground film" occurs in a 1957 essay by American film critic Manny Farber, "Underground Films." Farber uses it to refer to the work of...
, is a term that seeks to describe art forms that are aloof to the mainstream art world
Art world
The art world is composed of all the people involved in the production, commission, preservation, promotion, criticism, and sale of art. Howard S. Becker describes it as "the network of people whose cooperative activity, organized via their joint knowledge of conventional means of doing things,...
, are illegal, taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
, unconventional, rebellious or revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
. Underground art usually challenges or rejects the cultural status quo in some way, and may involve extreme doses of originality and experimentation in terms of its content, form or context.
Practitioners of underground art tend to distance themselves with the standards and traditions of mainstream culture, yet mainstream institutions, the mass media and corporations frequently try to associate themselves with so-called cutting edge and underground
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
movements as a way of appealing to young and frequently jaded audiences. Art that is said to be underground may be made mostly in secret, have other artists as its primary audience, or maintain a strong cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
. Some art forms that may be considered underground include graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
and street art, punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
related art and design, protest art
Protest art
Protest art is a broad term that refers to creative works that concern or are produced by activists and social movements. There are also contemporary and historical works and currents of thought that can be characterized in this way....
, art coming out of the international squat
Squat
The word squat, squatter or squatting can refer to:* Squatting, living in an abandoned or unused building, sometimes for political purposes...
and intentional communities movements and some forms of performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
.
The term underground art can be considered paradoxical in the sense that as soon as specific examples of such art are defined or publicized, they cease to be truly underground anymore.
Further reading
- Gavin, Francesca (2007), Street Renegades: New Underground Art, Laurence King Publishers, ISBN 9781856695299
- Brus, Gunter and Bianchi, Paolo (2001), Theo Altenberg Theo: The Paradise Experiment - The Utopia of Free Sexuality - Friedrichshof Commune 1973-8, Triton Verlag Publishers, Austria, ISBN 3854860919
- Tzara, Tristan (1916 to 1922), Dada Volumes l and ll, Tristan Tzara Centre du XXe siècle, ISBN 2-902311-17-6 and ISBN 2-902311-19-2