Why the avant-garde of art needs to be rehabilitated today
Since the decidedly bleak beginning of the twenty-first century, art
practice has become increasingly politicized. Yet few have put forward a
sustained defence of this development. Revolutionary Time and the
Avant-Garde is the first book to look at the legacy of the avant-garde
in relation to the deepening crisis of contemporary capitalism.
An invigorating revitalization of the Frankfurt School legacy, Roberts's
book defines and validates the avant-garde idea with an erudite acuity,
providing a refined conceptual set of tools to engage critically with
the most advanced art theorists of our day, such as Hal Foster, Andrew
Benjamin, Alain Badiou, Jacques Rancière, Paolo Virno, Claire Bishop,
Michael Hardt, and Toni Negri.