Remodernism
A Stuckist document
The first Remodernist art group
(est. 1999)
Remodernism
'towards a new spirituality in art'
Through the course of the 20th century Modernism has progressively lost
its way, until finally disintegrating into crass Post-Modern commercialism. At this appropriate time,
The Stuckists, the first Remodernist Art Group, announce the birth of Remodernism.
1. Remodernism is the rebirth of spiritual art.
2. Remodernism takes the
original principles of Modernism and reapplies them, highlighting vision as opposed to formalism.
3. Remodernism upholds the spiritual vision of the founding fathers of Modernism and
respects their bravery and integrity in facing and depicting the travails of the human soul through
a new art that was no longer subservient to a religious or political dogma and which sought to
give voice to the gamut of the human psyche.
4. Remodernism discards and replaces
Post-Modernism because of its failure to answer or address any important issues of being a
human being.
5. Modernism has never fulfilled its potential. It is futile to be 'post'
something which has not even 'been' properly something in the first place.
6.
Remodernism is inclusive rather than exclusive and welcomes artists who endeavour to know
themselves and find themselves through art processes that strive to connect and include, rather
than alienate through elitism.
7. Remodernism embodies spiritual depth and meaning
and brings to an end an age of scientific materialism, nihilism and spiritual bankruptcy.
8. We don't need more dull, boring, brainless destruction of convention, what we need
is not new, but perennial.
9. Spirituality is the journey of the soul on earth. Its first
principle is a declaration of intent to face the truth. Truth is what it is, regardless of what we want
it to be.
10. True art is the visible manifestation, evidence and facilitator of the souls
journey.
11. Being a spiritual artist means addressing unflinchingly our projections,
good and bad, the attractive and the grotesque, our strengths as well as our delusions, in order to
know ourselves and thereby our true relationship with others and our connection to the divine.
12. Spiritual art is not about fairyland. It is about taking hold of the rough texture of
life. It is about addressing the shadow and making friends with wild dogs. Spirituality is the
awareness that everything in life is for a higher purpose.
13. Spiritual art is the
painting of things that touch the soul of the artist. Spiritual art does not mean the painting of
Madonnas or Buddhas.
14. Spiritual art does not often look very spiritual, it looks like
everything else because spirituality includes everything.
15. Spiritual art mediates
between the mundane and the unconscious. By definition, the unconscious is what we need to
explore and integrate.
16. It should be noted that technique is dictated by, and only
necessary to the extent to which it is commensurate with, the vision of the artist.
17.
Spiritual art is not religion. Spirituality is humanity's quest to understand itself and finds its
symbology through the clarity and integrity of its artists.
18. Why do we need a new
spirituality in art? Because connecting in a meaningful way is what makes people happy. Being
understood and understanding each other makes life enjoyable and worth living.
19.
We need an art that integrates body and soul and recognises enduring and underlying principles
which have sustained wisdom and insight throughout humanity's history. This is the proper
function of tradition.
20. The Remodernist's job is to bring God back into art but not as
God was before. Remodernism is not a religion, but we uphold that it is essential to regain
enthusiasm (from the Greek, en theos to be possessed by God).
21. The making of
true art is man's desire to communicate with himself, his fellows and his God. Art that fails to
address these issues is not art.
Summary
It is
quite clear to anyone of an uncluttered mental disposition that what is now put forward, quite
seriously, as art by the ruling elite, is proof that a seemingly rational development of a body of
ideas has gone seriously awry. The principles on which Modernism was based are sound, but the
conclusions that have now been reached from it are preposterous.
We address this
lack of meaning, so that a coherent art can be achieved and this imbalance redressed.
Let there be no doubt, there will be a spiritual renaissance in art because there is
nowhere else for art to go. Stuckism's mandate is to initiate that spiritual renaissance now.
Billy Childish
Charles Thomson
1.3.2000
Published by The Hangman Bureau of Enquiry
11 Boundary Road,
Chatham, Kent ME4 6TS
