Manifesto of the “Romantic Anonymous” Painters, Printmakers, Sculptors and Architects

Article 1. Founding Act and Aims

1. We the Painters, Printmakers, Sculptors and Architects who sign this manifesto, and who live and create within the context of the contemporary Western Civilization societies, realize that nowadays, all those Fine Artists who insist upon serving Traditional Fine Arts with integrity and consistency, are aware that in recent times, our artwork is viewed with indifference, doubt or condescension rather than with esteem and recognition.

In front of the above, and taking into account that we wish to keep our distance from the nowadays, common mentality of a “consumerist voter” - who would fatalistically forsake every initiative necessary for adjustment of social malfunctions to the “powerful”, “key-persons”, “adepts”, deemed to “represent the community” – preferring instead to participate actively in our communal institutions by taking full responsibility for the solution of our own problems, as it befits every free and thinking citizen, and that each one of us feels inspired by healthy perseverance of Traditional Artistic Values, as well as by faith in one's personal artistic vision, we proceed in constituting an artistic group, which we name “The ‘Romantic Anonymous' Fellowship”, with the following aims:

· Firstly, while never failing to define ourselves positively and to function constructively within the contexts of our social and communal environments, to contribute in reinstituting Traditional Fine Arts in their former, and by definition due, status of primary importance within the Western Civilization's cultural and social sphere, from which they now appear deposed.

· Secondly, while challenging the established post-modern social model of an “artist ” who in a state of angst hastily “produces” an “art-product” to be “consumed”, even faster, by a constantly anguished viewer, to re-instate the traditional ideal of the fine artist, who through a meditative state creates an artwork, which the viewer will enjoy, sharing the experience in a similar meditative state.

· Thirdly, to support each-other morally, ideologically and practically, by functioning as a living, real artistic forum, as an institution for the representation of our common artistic ideology and deontology, and, finally, as a cooperative for the collective promotion of our individual artwork.

Articles 2 - 4. Definition of our Ideological and Philosophical context

1. Given that other fine artists' groups, inspired by similar principles have already been constituted in various countries of the world, enlisting themselves – of their own free choice, and according to the principle dictating that “unity brings strength” – in the international movement of fine artists known as “Stuckism”, we decide without reserves to enlist The “Romantic Anonymous” Fellowship amongst the ranks of said movement.
2. Although the “Stuckism” movement is based on a sound theoretical background, known as “Stuckist Theory”, which accounts for the nature of Stuckism's artistic intervention, and with which we essentially agree, in order to contribute actively in Stuckist Theory's further development, as well as to simultaneously respond to what we discern, in a considerable percentage of humans, as a “ psychological need for a contemporary recapture of the Classical Idea l ”, we institute the present Stuckist Theory – in the sense of a specialization rather than differentiation - which we call, for reasons of semantic clarification, “Romantic Stuckism”. The present manifesto along with the article “ A ‘ Romantic and Anonymous ' ( nonetheless signed ) Critique of Post-modernism ”, constitute the first two Romantic Stuckist documents .
3. As “ Romantic Anonymous ”, conscience that we are nothing more than – paraphrasing Einstein – simple human beings who need to step on the shoulders of giants, in order to extend our sight, we shall examine all the topics brought up in the next articles of this manifesto under the prism, and with the support, of Platonic Philosophy, referring especially to the Platonic Dialogues “ Ion ”, “ Symposium ”, “ Republic ”, “ Phaido ”, “ Phaidros ”, “ Sophist ” and “ Laws ”, which we recommend to the reader who wishes to venture in further contemplating what we are about to discuss .

Articles 5 - 7. Basic Ideological Principles

1. We “Romantic Anonymous” define (without being original at this point) Painting, Printmaking, Sculpting and Sacred & Monumental Architecture only as “Fine Arts”. We consider that the object of the Fine Arts is the generation of material forms, visible and tangible, which manifest the Cosmic Fundamentality of Beauty. We accept that the ultimate and catholic purpose of Fine Arts is the esoteric Knowledge of Self, which results - within the Fine Artist and the viewer alike - from the manifestation of Beauty, and which leads to further spiritual evolution.
2. All visual arts not included in the definition of the previous article (5) – that is Ceramics, Photography, Collage, Sculptural Construction and Installation, Video-art, various sectors of artistic Design, the utilitarian aspect of Architecture, Graphic Design, Illustration and Sequential Art (crudely known as “Comics”) – the “Romantic Anonymous” define as Broader Visual Arts. We are of the opinion that their object does not entirely coincide with that of material form generation, as it frequently comprises, the use, re-elaboration and mutation of previously generated material forms, or the incorporation of utilitarian elements, and/or –in the particular case of Sequential Art - of literary, theatrical and cinematographic elements . We accept as their ultimate and catholic purpose the meeting of Human psychological need for an attractive and entertaining environment, a need which, by definition, presents several practical and utilitarian aspects, resulting from everyday Human activities.
3. Concerning the relation between Fine and Broader Visual Arts, we believe that the object and the ultimate purpose of the latter, in relation to the corresponding ones of the first, are different enough for Broader Visual
   Arts to be definitely differentiated from Fine Arts, and similar enough for the Broader visual Arts to necessarily derive a great part, or the totality, of their basic vocabulary from fine Arts. This last fact results in a complete dependency of the evolution of Broader Visual Arts from that of Fine Arts which, by definition, are the only primary, decisive, and indispensable factor, the one we cannot do without in the process of Visual Creation.

Articles 8 - 14. Basic Deontological Principles

1. The “Romantic Anonymous” accepts as sufficient and necessary condition for anyone to be considered a Fine Artist, to practice actively at least one of the Visual Arts which we define in article (5), as “Fine”. Regarding the sufficient and necessary conditions for the active practice of Fine Art – upon which we will elaborate from article 9 through to article 14 – we consider the following:

i) The possession of Talent for the Fine Arts.

ii) The conclusion of a sufficient apprenticeship period.

iii) The continuous pursuit of further education.

iv) The proclivity towards artistic research and experimentation.

v) The consistency and integrity with regard to the choice of techniques, materials, and expressional means, related to practiced Fine Art.

vi) The ambition for an original contribution to the ecumenical and diachronic Expressive Vocabulary of Fine Arts, so that their ultimate purpose, as defined in article (5), is fulfilled.

1. Referring to the first condition , we can define as “ Talent for the Fine Arts ” the human ability to abandon self in order to become the conduit, through which to express the Powers of the Universe that operate the transmutation of Cosmic Matter into forms of Inherent Beauty .

Given that the above described process occurs only in a state of inspiration, a state described by Plato as “a god - send madness ” , where the inspired is “possessed by the Divine Element”, the fine artist can never be certain of possessing a talent for the fine arts.

The positive response of one ' s contemporary social environment to one ' s artistic work is no proof of talent , it is a mere indication , (albeit not a very dependable one) taking into account that each epoch's public opinion is a result of popular beliefs, and the acuteness of any epoch's public criterion is proportional to the cultural quality of that society .

The only cogent proof of fine artistic talent is the diachronicity of the artistic work , when it is disassociated from whatever beliefs and facts that played the role of stimulus for its creation , disassociated perhaps to the point of resulting denuded from any political , social , ethical , cultural , religious or philosophical references – for the very simple reason that all these have been forgotten, or altered, or rejected – continues to exercise a strong appeal to the spectator just because it displays forms, archetypal and eternal enough to possess a life of their own, to affect rather each eon's social reality than being affected by it, forms which, regardless of time and environmental conditions, manifest pure Beauty to whomever contemplates them.

However , for easily comprehensible reasons , neither the fine artist nor his/her contemporaries, have any way of ascertaining the diachronicity of his/her work , so that only one strong indication, not proof, of fine artistic talent is left… that of “natural inclination”.

What we define as “natural inclination towards the Fine Arts” is nowadays commonly confused with “talent for the Fine Arts”. It is something different though. We are talking about that internal call, strong and irresistible to the point of driving one to consecrate one's entire being to the objective of depicting - by means of a Fine Art - one's personal visions with absolute convincingness and accuracy.

In order to capture such a trophy, the fine artist will not hesitate to engage in apprenticeship and a lifetime of further education, and will, whenever necessary, make arduous personal sacrifices, fight against adversity, to fulfill all requirements. Even if it becomes evident that life shall end before the trophy is conquered, the genuinely talented will keep on pursuing it, having no other alternative! We are simply talking about what the great Diego Rivera expressed with the solemn statement: “If you don't paint you die!”

We arrive at a double conclusion that, on one hand, the talented have no way of ascertaining their talent and, on the other, it is not important to the talented. So, one's unmovable faith in one's personal artistic vision is enough for the “Romantic Anonymous” to consider the condition of “possessing talent for the Fine Arts” as sufficiently fulfilled.

1. Referring to the second condition , with “ sufficient apprenticeship period” we mean those studies and training resulting in the effective attainment of the fundamental knowledge and skills, which will release one's potential for the development of a personal artistic vocabulary and style.

We specify at this point that , for the “ Romantic Anonymous ” at least , any kind of apprenticeship is equally valid ; it can consist of curricular studies at a Fine or Visual Arts tertiary or other school , or of free seminar studies not leading to any formal degree, or of a traditional apprenticeship at a master fine artist's workshop, or of self-training and self-education through the use of books and through the copying of masterpieces, or, finally, of a combination of some, or all of the above. What really counts for us is the apprenticeship ' s effective outcome, that is, whether sufficient practical skill, craftsmanship, and theoretical instruction have been acquired. Under this perspective , the most valid “certificate of successful apprenticeship in the Fine Arts” is, in our opinion, the artwork itself.

1. Referring to the third condition , “ further education ” for us has the meaning of the constant enhancement of artistic skills , know how, and theoretical background , as well as of the continuous acquisition of extensive and multifaceted knowledge , which will constitute the “ fuel ” of artistic inspiration .

With special regard to wide-ranged education, we wish to underline that we completely reject the contemporary technocratic model of strict specialization in a narrow sector of knowledge. Every Renaissance gets accomplished by the Homo Universalis, according to the exemplar of a Da Vinci, not by the Homo Publicitarius, according to the shallow social prototype of the ignorant, superficial, and irresponsible “artistic celebrity”, so widely marketed nowadays by the star-system through the media and the life-style magazines.

It is indispensable for Fine Artists to delve deeply into Science , Literature and Philosophy, and to be sensitized in the great issues of their times, in order for them to contribute effectively to their Arts, each one using the maximum of one's personal potential.

1. Referring to the fourth condition , the “ Romantic Anonymous ” believes that incessant artistic research and experimentation offer the only guarantee to a continuous renovation of artistic work.

Thus we consider it unworthy of a fine artist to persist on what is instituted as “ correct ” by the academic establishment , “trendy” by the media and “commercially viable” by the art-galleries. Whoever creates through conscious, passionate, honest and courageous experimentation accepts a priori that, during the creative process mistakes will be committed – under the prism of the Cosmic Principles of Beauty and Harmony – as well as “mistakes” – under the perspective of whatever arbitrary academic and marketing standards are in vogue at the moment – and remains, consequently, uninfluenced by the “fad of the times”. The sincere fine artist will not sterilely reject and deny commercial success, but will rather consider it composedly as the result of ingenious – always within the limits of honesty and integrity - business venturing, combined with some favour from Lady Luck.

1. Referring to the fifth condition , we consider our duty to conduct our artistic research with consistency and integrity , persevering techniques, materials , and expressional means related to the Fine Art each one of us has chosen to serve, since research and experimentation in any given Fine Art become effective only when conducted within that Fine Art's own context, and based on its own vocabulary, a vocabulary already developed by our predecessor fine artists during the span of millennia, constituting thus a homogeneous, organic and diachronic set, thus always alive and modern .

By consequence , the borrowing - for the sake of experimentation - of materials and expressive means from other Visual Arts should be conducted with a full awareness of the existing context and vocabulary of one's chosen Fine Art in order to prevent a measureless hybridism leading to the substitution of Fine Arts by something else, to the alteration of their object and to the straying away from their ultimate and catholic purpose.

1. Finally , referring to the sixth condition , the one regarding the ambition “… for an original contribution to the ecumenical and diachronic Expressive Vocabulary of the Fine Arts , so that their ultimate purpose is fulfilled ”, we must first of all oppose an ambition which aims, in a megalomaniac and unrealistic manner, to cancel millennia of artistic creation by denouncing it as “surpassed”, and by counter-proposing a “substitute”, which is marketed as “innovation” for the sole reason that it defies diachronic Fine Artistic Values. We confirm our own ambition as definitely noble and, most importantly, modest for two obvious reasons:

First, we are ambitious and simultaneously fully conscious of the futility of any innovative effort which is not based on the work of our predecessor artists whom, instead of aiming to imitate we rather try to assimilate and further develop so that – as the Japanese poet Matsuo Munefusa wisely stated - “instead of seeking to follow the footsteps of the ancients, we rather aspire to go where they already went”.

Second , although we cannot know if our ambition shall ever be fulfilled, for the reasons explained in article (9), we dedicate our lives to it all the same feeling that - as the Greek poet Constantine Kavafi wisely stated - “it is the journey rather than the destination, which will embellish our souls”.

Athens , September 15 th 2004 C.E.

This Manifesto has been translated in English from the original Greek by the author. The English translation has been reviewed by Mrs. Ilania Abileah .