Description:
The Freak-garde traces the arts of the freak show from P. T. Barnum to Matthew Barney, demonstrating how a form of mass culture entertainment became the basis for a distinctly American avant-garde tradition. Robin Blyn establishes innovative approaches to American avant-garde practices and embodiment and lays the foundation for a more nuanced understanding of the disruptive potential of art under capitalism.
Review Quotes: "Linking the freak show to the avant-garde, Robin Blyn offers a fresh look at authors and artist like Mark Twain, Lon Chaney, Djuna Barnes, Nathanael West, Diane Arbus, and Matthew Barney. This book is a welcome contribution to scholarship on the freak show." --Rachel Adams, Columbia University