Feast of Excess : A Cultural History of the New Sensibility

In 1952, John Cage shocked audiences with 4'33", his compositional ode to the ironic power of silence. From Cage's minimalism to Chris Burden's radical performance art two decades later (in one piece he had himself shot), the post-war American avant-garde shattered the divide between low and high art, between artist and audience. They changed the cultural landscape. Feast of Excess is an engaging and accessible portrait of "The New Sensibility," as it was named by Susan Sontag in 1965. The New Sensibility sought to push culture in extreme directions: either towards stark minimalism or gaudy maximalism. Through vignette profiles of prominent figures-John Cage, Patricia Highsmith, Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol, Anne Sexton, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Erica Jong, and Thomas Pynchon, to name a few-George Cotkin presents their bold, headline-grabbing performances and places them within the historical moment. This inventive and jaunty narrative captures the excitement of liberation in American culture. The roots of this release, as Cotkin demonstrates, began in the 1950s, boomed in the 1960s, and became the cultural norm by the 1970s. More than a detailed immersion in the history of cultural extremism, Feast of Excess raises provocative questions for our present-day culture. In 1952, John Cage Shocked Audiences With 4'33, His Composition Showcasing The Power Of Silence. From Cage's Minimalism To Chris Burden's Radical Performance Art Two Decades Later, The Post-war Avant-garde Sought To Liberate The Art World By Shattering The Divide Between High And Low Art. Feast Of Excess Presents An Engaging And Accessible Portrait Of The Cultural Extremism That Emerged In The United States After World War Ii. This New Sensibility, As Termed By Susan Sontag, Was Predicated Upon Excess, Pushing And Often Crossing Boundaries Whether In The Direction Of Minimalism Ormaximalism. Through Brief Vignette Profiles Of Prominent Figures In Literature, Music, Visual Art, Poetry, Theater And Journalism, George Cotkin Leads Readers On A Focused Journey Through The Interconnected Stories Of Prominent Figures Such As Andy Warhol, Anne Sexton, John Cage, John Coltrane, Bobdylan, Erica Jong, And Chris Burden, Among Many Others, Who Broke Barriers Between Artist And Audience With Their Bold, Shocking, And Headline-grabbing Performances. This Inventive Narrative Captures The Sentiment Of Liberation From High And Low Culture In Artistic Endeavors Spanning From The 1950s To The 1970s And Reveals The Establishment Of Excess In American Culture As The Norm. A Detailed Emersion In The History Of Cultural Extremism, Feast Of Excess Leavesreaders To Consider The Provocative Revelation That The Essence Of Excess Remains In Our Culture Today, For Good And Ill. "In 1952, John Cage shocked audiences with 4'33", his compositional ode to the ironic power of silence. From Cage's minimalism to Chris Burden's radical performance art two decades later (in one piece he had himself shot), the postwar American avant-garde shattered the divide between low and high art, between artist and audience. They changed the cultural landscape. Feast of Excess is an engaging and accessible portrait of 'The New Sensibility, ' as it was named by Susan Sontag in 1965. The New Sensibility sought to push culture in extreme directions: either toward stark minimalism or gaudy maximalism. Through vignette profiles of prominent figures--John Cage, Patricia Highsmith, Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol, Anne Sexton, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Erica Jong, and Thomas Pynchon, to name a few--George Cotkin presents their bold, headline-grabbing performances and places them within the historical moment. This inventive and jaunty narrative captures the excitement of liberation in American culture. The roots of this release, as Cotkin demonstrates, began in the 1950s, boomed in the 1960s, and became the cultural norm by the 1970s. More than a detailed immersion in the history of cultural extremism, Feast of Excess raises provocative questions for our present-day culture"-- Provided by publisher Introduction: The New Sensibility Prelude: A New Year : Judith Malina [I] Emergence, 1952-1960 1952: Sounds of Silence : John Cage 1953: Erasure and Addition : Robert Rauschenberg 1954: The Wild One : Marlon Brando 1955: Ever Mysterious : Patricia Highsmith 1956: Howling in the Wilderness : Allen Ginsberg 1957: "Great Balls of Fire" : Jerry Lee Lewis 1958: To "Nullify Explanation" : Robert Frank 1959: Making a Connection : Judith Malina and Jack Gelber 1960: All About Me : Norman Mailer [II] Explosion, 1961-1969 1961: Say What? : Lenny Bruce 1962: Pop Goes the Paradigm 1963: Picking His Nose at Tradition : Andy Warhol 1964: Naming the New : Susan Sontag 1965: "How Does It Feel?" : John Coltrane and Bob Dylan 1966: Living and Dying : Anne Sexton 1967: "Utmost Freedom of Imagination" : William Styron 1968: An "Extreme Gesture" : Gore Vidal [III] Cultural Commonplace, 1970-1974 1969: "Terribleness" : Amiri Baraka 1970: "I Just Love Freaks" : Diane Arbus 1971: Vegas, Baby! : Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Hunter Thompson 1972: Erectile Destruction : Samuel R. Delany and Thomas Pynchon 1973: Zipless Abandon : Erica Jong 1974: Crucified and Shot : Chris Burden Conclusion: The Shock of the Old...and New.