Primitivism is one of the fundamental aspects of Modern Art; however, its importance has not been sufficiently studied yet.

The aim of the present project is to study the elaboration of "primitive" through Modern Art, starting in the XIXth century and with an increasing stress in the avant-garde movements of the XXth century. Few of these movements have escaped the influence of Primitivism, where the artistic reference to the primitive is not only an element of stylistic definition in itself but also an element of criticism to the European tradition, as an opposition to the classic-naturalistic Theory of Art.

Primitivism has gone through different phases in the last century: a) a formal influence in artists of the early XXth century, through the relationship with objects of Primitive Art and their development of a formal, abstract and synthetic language as opposed to the traditional mymesis in art; b) an increasing interest in the importance of the myth and rites and their link to art, dreams and the unconscious. This interest was raised principally with Surrealism and the following movements derived from surrealist influence; and, from 1970's to present time, c) an interest in the primitive society, its social structure and its ways of thinking, that has been captured in the creation of new artistic ways of expression such as happenings, performances, body art and land art.

While Primitivism as a crucial element in the formation of the artistic modernity has been at least superficially analyzed in European and North American History of Art, in Spain this point of view is practically inexistent, despite the great number of artists whose connection with the primitive is explicitly and openly assumed in their theoretical writings and artistic works. Moreover, in the international field Primitivism is a subject of study that has attracted major attention in the specialized bibliography, and it has lately had an important impel after the recent opening of the Musée du Quay Branly in Paris, and the exhibitions that from now on will be held there.

Our project is fundamentally based in the History and Theory of Art, but its nature is multidisciplinary as it deals with concepts that belong to other disciplines such as Philosophy, Anthropology and History of Culture and Ideas.

This research has a significant link with the previous four projects supported by MEC. To understand Primitivism in all its complexities, it is absolutely necessary to be familiar with Primitive Art, and to understand the connections established between occidental artists and the works of primitive societies. In addition, this proposal continues in the line of other projects that have been previously promoted by the Centro Investigador en Arte Primitivo (Primitive Art Research Centre), a research group that has been recognized by the Universidad Pompeu Fabra and that is starting up a totally new line of research within the Spanish academic media.