Warp & Woof, v. 2.0 Welcome to Warp & Woof, a blog from William Sundwick. I’ve been working on this project intermittently since I retired from the Library of Congress in 2015, after 42 years of service. Back in the day, maybe 10-15 years ago, when blogging was something people did – before social mediaContinue reading “Welcome to Warp and Woof, v.2.0”
Tag Archives: avant garde
What Is Post-Postmodernism, Anyway?
Published January 9, 2020 in Warp & Woof What Is Post-Postmodernism, Anyway? Time for Something New William Sundwick Introduction: Postmodernism Those of us introduced to art and aesthetics through a mid-century lens thought all things modern were products of the twentieth century – especially, the early twentieth century. They included dadaism, surrealism, and theatre ofContinue reading “What Is Post-Postmodernism, Anyway?”
Who Says Avant-Garde Is Dead?
Published November 19, 2019 in Warp & Woof Who Says Avant-Garde Is Dead? Postmodernism Hasn’t Killed It Yet William Sundwick When art critic Clement Greenberg wrote in 1939 that the opposite of avant-gardewas kitsch, he was referring to the struggle then between artists who had a burning desire to be creative and the exigencies ofContinue reading “Who Says Avant-Garde Is Dead?”
Pere Ubu
Published May 31, 2019 in Warp & Woof Pere Ubu “Avant-garage” Rock with a Rust Belt Sheen William Sundwick Cleveland has produced more than the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame. Emerging in the 1970s, beneath the radar of its pop music mainstream, was an avant-garde, experimental music scene, epitomized by David Thomas and Pere Ubu. StartingContinue reading “Pere Ubu”
Who Killed the Anger?
Published November 22, 2018 in Warp & Woof Who Killed the Anger? Creative Tension in Rock Music William Sundwick First there was “blues.” It was raw. Sung and played by illiterate, marginalized sharecroppers in the Deep South. Somebody in New York decided that, if it could be made more pleasant, less painful to hear, especiallyContinue reading “Who Killed the Anger?”
The Velvet Underground — Or, Perils of Selling Avant Garde As Pop
Published July 12, 2017 in Warp & Woof The Velvet Underground – Or, Perils of Selling Avant Garde as Pop William Sundwick Lou Reed was a middle-class Jewish kid growing up on 1950s Long Island. He was always interested in pop music – especially doo wop — and taught himself to playContinue reading “The Velvet Underground — Or, Perils of Selling Avant Garde As Pop”
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