An Old Art for a New Culture: The Popular and the Avant-Garde in Josep Renau's Nueva Cultura
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Date
2012
Authors
Koehler, June
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The Spanish artist Josep Renau (1907-1982) published the propaganda
periodical Nueva cultura from 1935 to 1937. Although richly illustrated with cuttingedge
graphic design and photomontage, it made use of popular culture with more
frequency than might be expected in a left-wing, vanguard publication. This is seen
most notably in the March 1937 special edition, published to coincide with a local,
popular festival. In the special edition, Renau primarily utilized popular forms of
illustration in the layout. Further, by publishing it in the regional language rather
than Castilian Spanish, he attested to the importance of addressing people in their
own language, both linguistically and formally. This thesis examines the periodical in
relation to philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin’s writings on folk culture and James V.
Wertsch’s research on collective remembering.
Description
Keywords
Collective memory, Folk culture, Josep Renau, Popular culture, Propaganda, Spanish Civil War