Theories of the Avant-Garde 1: Gehlen - Burger - Bourdieu - Luhmann

In 1966 Arnold Gehlen somewhat sarcastically remarked that art theory had once been an important branch of philosophy. Nowadays, however, it seemed that aesthetics no longer concerned itself with phenomena such as avantgardism and that it was now time for sociology to take a closer look.In doing so, Gehlen inaugurated a new, culturally sociological phase in the engagement with modern art. This study argues that this phase extends from Gehlen through Bürger to Bourdieu and Luhmann, each approaching the avant-garde through a distinct theoretical lens: revolution and institutionalisation, the autonomy of the artistic field, and art as an evolving social system.