Vitalist Modernism: Art, Science, Energy and Creative Evolution

This book explores how vitalism and its relationship to new scientific theories,philosophies, and concepts of energy became seminal from the fin de siècle until the Second World War for Modernists such as Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Hugo Ball, Juliette Bisson, Eva Carrière, Salvador Dalì, Robert Delaunay, Marcel Duchamp, Edvard Munch, Picasso, Yves Tanguy, Gino Severini, and John Cage. It reveals how biovitalism at the fin de siècle entailed the pursuit of corporeal regeneration through absorption in raw nature, wholesome environments, aqua therapies, electromagnetism, heliotherapy, modern sports, and physical culture.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the profound influence of vitalism and its intricate relationship with emerging scientific theories, philosophies, and concepts of energy during the captivating era spanning from the late 19th century to the Second World War. It sheds light on the profound impact of vitalism on a group of influential Modernists, including renowned artists such as Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Hugo Ball, Juliette Bisson, Eva Carrière, Salvador Dalì, Robert Delaunay, Marcel Duchamp, Edvard Munch, Picasso, Yves Tanguy, Gino Severini, and John Cage. For these visionaries, vitalism encompassed a holistic vision of life as a continuous and dynamic process driven by the free flow of energies, imagination, intuition, and memories, unburdened by the constraints of mechanistic materialism and temporal imperatives. This vision gave rise to what Henri Bergson aptly termed Creative Evolution, a transformative force that propelled the evolution of life and art.

In the first part of this book, we explore the profound implications of biovitalism during the fin de siècle. Biovitalism entailed a pursuit of corporeal regeneration through immersion in raw nature, wholesome environments, aquatic therapies, electromagnetism, heliotherapy, modern sports, particularly rugby, water sports, the Olympic Games, and physical culture. Artists, drawn from a diverse range of geocultural backgrounds, such as Gustave Caillebotte, Thomas Eakins, Munch, and Albert Gleizes, vividly captured the essence of biovitalism in their works. These artists sought to revitalize the human body and awaken its life force by engaging in natural experiences and exploring the boundaries of physical and mental potential.

Simultaneously, vitalism forged profound connections with a multitude of other ideologies and scientific disciplines. It aligned itself with anthroposophy, esotericism, magnetism, occultism, parapsychology, spiritism, theosophy, and psychic states, as captured by artists like Juliette Bisson, Giacomo Balla, Albert Besnard, Umberto Boccioni, Eva Carrière, John Gerrard Keulemans, László Moholy-Nagy, James Tissot, Albert von Schrenck Notzing, and Picasso. During and after the devastating aftermath of the First World War, vitalism continued to resonate with artists, providing them with a source of inspiration and resilience in the face of societal upheaval.

In conclusion, this book offers a captivating exploration of the multifaceted influence of vitalism on Modernist art and culture. It sheds light on the profound connections between vitalism, scientific theories, philosophies, and concepts of energy, and the creative expressions of artists who embraced this transformative vision. Through their works, these Modernists not only pushed the boundaries of artistic expression but also left an indelible mark on the history of art and society.

Weight: 618g
Dimension: 173 x 245 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032423487