Tanks for the memories...

[Mark David Tristan Brenchley]

On Sat, 14 Apr 2001, Dave Monroe wrote:

> The Surrealism/Communism encounter was an interesting
> one, all right.  Uneasy for all concerned, with much
> wackiness.  See ...

	I still think there's something in the difference between Futurism
and Surrealism re: politics. Let's not forget that Marinetti heavily
courted Mussolini, and was eventually enthroned in the Academy for his
efforts. Also, Futurism found a strong support amongst the workers of
Italy (as apposed to the more decadent, academic/literary followers of
d'Annunzio). Seems to me that futurism was very much about aesthticizing
life, whereas the Surrealists tried to free up life.

Mark

> 
> Lewis, Helena.  The Politics of Surrealism.
>    New York: Paragon House, 1988.
> 
> This might have been published as Dada Goes Red: The
> Politics of Surrealism by Edinburgh UP in the U.K.,
> but I'm not sure if they're the same book or not.  And
> I'm not familiar with this one yet, but it's on my
> list, so ...
> 
> Rose, Alan.  Surrealism and Communism:
>    The Early Years.  NY: Peter Lang, 1991.
> 
> By the way, here's a link that might be of interest
> ...
> 
> http://www.surrealism-usa.org/
> 
> I got some nifty bumper stickers from 'em at a book
> fair, at any rate ...
> 
> I've been steadily accumulating bits and pieces of
> futurism, not up to bibliographizing much right now,
> but I'd definitely recommend that Andrew Hewitt book
> I've been excerpting (Fascist Modernism), and, having
> had call to e-mail Marjorie Perloff a while back, she
> mentioned that her classic The Futurist Moment might
> find its way back into print soon.  Maurizia
> Boscagli's Eye on the Flesh: Fashions of Modernity in
> teh Early Twentieth century comes to mind as well ...
> 
> But, as Otto asked about Vorticism, is anybody here up
> on it?  I've been, er, circling around it, but ...
> 
> http://www.english.uga.edu/~hypertxt/blast.html
> 
> Was wondering if there might be a Wynsham Lewis
> allusion to be found in Ch. 9, along with the Pound
> and the Yeats and so forth.  Also, Gottfried Benn. 
> Have a BLAST! ...
> 
> --- Mark David Tristan Brenchley
> <mdtb at st-andrews.ac.uk> wrote:
> > 
> > P.S. Re: Walter  Benjamin and the aestheticisation
> > of politics. What does
> > our Mr Pynchon think of the Futurists? Also, there
> > is a possible
> > comparison between the Futurists (yea, fascism"!and
> > The Surrealists (yea,
> > communism!), both have strong aesthetics but given
> > the Surrealists
> > strongly anit-aesthetic approach to art (through
> > their links to Dadaism)
> > it is perhaps not surprising that they sided with
> > the Communists. I'm not
> > quite sure that this idea holds up, but I'd be
> > interested in hearing your
> > thoughts.
> > 
> 
> 
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