Avant-Garde/Neo-Avant-Garde Bibliographic Research Database

Abstract

The objective of this database is to encourage, facilitate and stimulate research across the disciplines on avant-garde and neo-avant-garde art, literature, film, music, theory, architecture and performance. The database features a collection of more than 3000 bibliographic entries on secondary literature on avant-garde and neo-avant-garde related themes and topics. The entries are searchable via various different keyword functions including the categories ‘movement’ (i.e. “Dada”, “Surrealism”, “Situationist International” etc.), ‘main topic’ (“dadaist art”, “surrealist literature”, “photomontage” etc.) and ‘main author/artist discussed’. We want scholars to be able to search precisely for literature on very specific avant-garde related topics (such as less well-known movements or individuals, or particular avant-garde techniques, or literature on specific art forms within the various movements etc.), which are often not searchable in ordinary library catalogues. The information featured in each single entry includes: author/creator and contributors (in case of essay collections), time and place of publication, publisher, type of publication [i.e. monograph, essay collection, exhibition catalogue, catalogue raisonné, essay, review etc], language, and ISBN or ISSN numbers. We have attempted to cover relevant literature on major movements and individuals of the respective periods. Most works in the database are in English, though significant literature in other languages has also been included in some cases. The database mainly features secondary literature, i.e. literature about the avant-garde rather than by the avant-garde. However, exceptions have been made in those cases where the writers and painters of the avant-garde have written theoretical assessments, analytical pieces or declarations of intentions which are relevant for the understanding of the avant-garde’s endeavours. This is why certain manifestos, key essays, programmatic statements or reviews have been included. These are usually designated in the ‘type’ category as ‘programme/manifesto/statement’. For directions on use of this resource please see the 'Instructions for Use' file in the Documentation directory.