
Theory of the Rearguard
How to Survive Contemporary Art (and Almost Everything Else)
Ivan de la Nuez(Author)
Seven Stories Press,U.S.
Published on 29. April 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
96 pages
978-1-64421-461-9 (ISBN)
Description
"Theory of the Rearguard examines how contemporary art is in tension with survival, rather than in relation to life. In the twentieth century, Peter Bèurger's Theory of the Avant-Garde was a cult book focused on the two main tasks that art demanded at the time: to break its representation and to destroy the barrier that separated it from life. Forty years later, The Theory of the Rearguard is an ironic manifesto about contemporary art and its failures, even though Ivâan de la Nuez does not waste his time mourning it or disguising it. He argues that our times are not characterized by the distance between art and life, but by a tension between art and survival, which is the continuation of life by any means necessary. In the twenty-first century, Ivâan de la Nuez examines art in relationship to politics, iconography, and literature. This austere and sharp book-in which Duchamp stumbles upon Lupe, the revolution upon the museum, Paul Virilio upon Joan Fontcuberta or Fukuyama upon Michael Jackson-wonders if contemporary art will ever end. Because if it were mortal-"just as mortal as everything it invokes or examines under its magnifying glass"-de la Nuez argues would be worth writing an epitaph for it as he has done in this sparkling book of art criticism"--
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
5 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 209 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
94 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64421-461-9 (9781644214619)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2025
Seven Stories Press
€9.49
Available for download
Persons
Iván de la Nuez