What is Avant Garde?

Answer:
The term avant-garde, which means "advanced guard" or "vanguard", can be applied to works of music or art that is ahead of its time or notably different from the norm in society.

A vanguard is a small part of an army that advances ahead of the larger group. That same concept can be applied to the individuals who pulled ahead of their contemporaries and were seen as innovators and experimentalists

in their field. These innovators weren't without their critics though. Because the vanguards pushed the envelope of mainstream society in music, art, or even politics, they were often seen as radicals, freethinkers, or Bohemians. As with any idea, movement, or rebellion, the avant-garde movement ironically came to be accepted by mainstream culture as museums and individual collectors sought after their works.

Today, the term is still used but perhaps not with such vigor as before. The term "shock artist" is probably more widely recognized in today's culture.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O5-avantgarde.html

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