Next week, we are going to see two shows at the Jewish Museum: “Chagall, Lissitsky, Malevich: The Russian Avant-Garde in Vitebsk, 1918-1922” and “Martha Rosler: Irrespective.”

Both shows—one on early 20th century Russian art, one on a late 20th century American artist—exhibit both formal experimentation and political content. Both address the question of “what is art” and the question of “what does art do, in the world?”

You will choose one work of art from either show, and write a 400-500 word blog post about it. At the museum, after you choose your work of art, take a photo of it to post on the blog.

In your written analysis, answer the following questions:

1. In what way does this work constitute experimental, or avant-garde, art? What boundaries does it push? What innovations does it make? Is it a mimesis—or is it abstract? Pay attention to the medium—the materials—as well as the content and visual style of the artwork, here.

2. In what way is this work political? What message does it hold? How is it—do you think—trying to effect a change in the viewer, or in the world?

3. How are your answers to #1 and #2 related? How is the artwork’s experimentalism (in terms of style, medium, or artistic method) related to its political content, if at all?

NOTE: If you want to review the PowerPoint on avant-garde and political art from our 11/20 class, it is available here.