De Stijl Manifesto
Theo van Doesburg
MANIFEST I OF STYLE
(DE STIJL MANIFESTO)
- There is an old and a new consciousness of time. The old is connected with the individual. The new is connected with the universal. The struggle of the individual against the universal is revealing itself in the world-war as well as in the art of the present day.
- The war is destroying the old world with its contents: individual domination in every state.
- The new art has brought forward what the new consciousness of time contains: a balance between the universal and the individual.
- The new consciousness is prepared to realise the internal life as well as the external life.
- Traditions, dogmas and the domination of the individual are opposed to this realisation.
- The founders of the new plastic art therefore call upon all who believe in the reformation of art and culture, to annihilate these obstacles of development, as they have annihilated in the new plastic art (by abolishing natural form) that which prevents the clear expression of art, the utmost consequence of all art notion.
- The artists of to-day have been driven the whole world over by the same consciousness and therefore have taken part from an intellectual point of view in this war against the domination of individual despotism. They therefore sympathize with all who work for the formation of an international unity in Life, Art, Culture, either intellectually or materially.
- The monthly editions of “The Style”, founded for that purpose, try to attain the new wisdom of life in an exact manner.
- Co-operation is possible by:
I. Sending, with entire approval, name, address and profession to the editor of “The Style”.
II. Sending critical philosophical, architectural, scientific, literary, musical articles or reproductions.
III. Translating articles in different languages or distributing thoughts published in “The Style”.
Signatures of the present collaborators:
THEO VAN DOESBURG, Painter.
ROBT. VAN ’T HOFF, Architect.
VILMOS HUSZÁR, Painter.
ANTONY KOK, Poet.
PIET MONDRIAAN, Painter.
G. VANTONGERLOO, Sculptor.
JAN WILS, Architect.