Art And Its Future [L'Art Et Son Avenir]

Art And Its Future [L'Art Et Son Avenir]

Author: Georges Vantongerloo

Year: 1924

Georges Vantongerloo (1886-1965) published L'Art Et Son Avenir in 1924. He was a member of De Stijl in 1917, Cercle et Carré in 1930 and Abstraction-Création in 1931. NOTE: This is the first English translation, completed in 2024. Translation Editor: Edward Grabczewski. Text shown in green represents editorial commentary and is not part of the translation. A summary of the book, including notes on Vantongerloo's closed colour circle, can be found here . NOTE: The original French edition of this booklet can be found here. Summary of L'Art et Son Avenir (1924) By G. Vantongerloo Purpose Vantongerloo presents a philosophical and scientific vision of art’s future. He argues that true art should move beyond historical forms, naturalistic representation, and emotional subjectivity to become a universal, abstract, and rational expression of the unity of spirit and matter. Key Themes 1️ Evolution of Art Art history reflects humanity’s evolving attempt to balance spirituality and materiality . Early art (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, etc.) was bound to local, historical, and religious contexts, unable to achieve universal unity. Movements like Baroque, Expressionism, Futurism, and Cubism repres