Avant-garde Performance

by Günter Berghaus

How did the concept of the avant-garde come into existence? How did it impact on the performing arts? How did the avant-garde challenge the artistic establishment and avoid the pull of commercial theatre, gallery and concert-hall circuits? How did performance artists respond to new technological developments?

Placing key figures and performances in their historical, social and aesthetic context, Günter Berghaus offers an accessible introduction to post-war avant-garde performance. Written in a clear, engaging style, and supported by text boxes and illustrations throughout, this volume explains the complex ideas behind avant-garde art and evocatively brings to life the work of some of its most influential performance artists.

Covering hot topics such as multi-media and body art performances, this text is essential reading for students of theatre studies and performance.

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2005

Reviews

[Elliot · Rating 1 out of 5]

An utter tool is Berghaus. This book is poorly written, uninteresting, tedious, outdated, and stupid. A lot of the psychological research is unsupported, completely unfounded in actual science and out of date. Berghaus' cultural references are ridiculous, poorly made and often wrong. For a start, the Starship Enterprise was not "in the popular Star Wars series". This utter fuck witticism made me hurl the text across the room.

[Neil P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging. This book explains the routes and the background of the society into which avant-garde performance, in different eras was created. It is also packed with interesting artists I had not hitherto come into contact with.