Do we worship Isis, Jupiter, Janus, Jehovah, Christ, Boudha, Moloch? No. Do we wear tunics, peplums, or armor? No. Do we speak Eqyptian, Greek, Roumanian, Hebrew…Roman or Chinese? No. So why should our arts be Eqyptian, Greek, Roumanian, Gothic, Chinese or Japanese?
Our idea, our costome, our language, is it the same as in the time of Louis XIV, Louis WV, Louis XVI? No. why should our arts be the same? Is our ideal, our way of dressing or of speaking, the same as last century’s? Does our time resemble that of our parents? No. So let’s do as each people has done in each period of time, LET’S BE MODERN; let our works be the expression of the time in which they were born, these works alone are living, ALL THE OTHERS ARE ARTIFICIAL.
TO EACH TIME ITS ART.
Pierre Albert-Birot, “BANALITY” (1916)
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Below: Ca Ne Se Fait Pas (It Isn’t Done) (1916) (translation)
