Nonconformity
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Surrealism, such as I conceive of it, asserts our complete nonconformism clearly enough so that there can be no question of translating it, at the trial of the real world, as evidence for the defense."--first Surrealist Manifesto (1924) by André Breton |
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In English history, a non-conformist is any member of a Protestant congregation not affiliated with the Church of England.
The term has come to refer to any person who refuses to conform to a set of beliefs, common standards, conventions, rules, customs, traditions, norms or laws or practices of a greater national entity, society, culture, or established church.
If the issue is considered critical, such as issues perceived to be related to loyalty to a nation or support for current laws, the non-conformist is often termed a "rebel" of a society and may be considered dangerous to maintaining social order. Unlike an anti-conformist, who chooses not to conform to society simply for the sake of not conforming, a non-conformist chooses to not conform to society because of differences in beliefs.
Nonconformism and Art
Nonconformism is often displayed by artists, either in the innovation of new styles and schools of artistic expression or in the personal habits and behavior of an artist. One famous example of a nonconformist movement in art was Surrealism, the tenets of which operate outside of limitations dictated by reason, aesthetics or morality. In the Surrealist Manifesto, Andre Breton wrote, "Surrealism, such as I conceive of it, asserts our complete nonconformism clearly enough so that there can be no question of translating it, at the trial of the real world, as evidence for the defense." Many Surrealists, and among them especially Salvador Dalí, were famous for their bizarre nonconformist behavior.
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