Re: The Surrealist complement generator

Lee Hollingworth (lee@giaeb.cc.monash.edu.au)
Wed, 10 May 95 9:35:02 EST

> > I suppose one could provide a Surrealist experience in an office
> > complex, by providing random metaphors of consumer goods, advertizing
> > slogans, and Marxist diatribes about finance-capital. Embellishing an
> > office with random societal symbols that exist in proximity to offices
> > and commerce might yield an interesting tableau.
>
> Hmmm, I'm not convinced the scattering of common day objects implies
> surrealism - in fact the above has a tendency to imply some sort of
> political statement, not the freedom of the dream world which most
> certainly sets the criteria for giving value to surrealist collage.
>
> Actually, in looking at Dali's work I am not conviced at all that
> there's something less than a political message about one's sexual
> freedoms and carnal desires. He proclaimed the artist to be a
> "polymorphous pervert," who was not responsible for his instincts.
> Certainly this is a powerful message about sex and social
> responsibility.

Well I guess you could simplify it to that level. But you should
keep in mind that Dali's work was based upon the "paranoiac phenomena"
which is requires more than one reading to understand, and I quote
from La Conquete de l'lrrationnel, 1935;

"The presence of the active systematic elements peculiar to
paranoia ensures the revolutionary and productive character
peculiar to paranoiac-critical activity. The presence of
active and systematic elements does not imply the idea of
directed thinking, nor of any intellectual compromise, for,
as we know, in paranoia the active and systematic structure
is consubstantial with the delirious phenomenon itself -
every delirious phenomenon of a paranoiac nature, even if
instantaneous and unexpected, already comprises the systematic
structure 'in full' and only objectivizes itself a posteriori
by critical intervention."

Man, I wish I had written that! :)

> I think if you dug through other Surrealist manifestos and artworks,
> you would find a lot of political agenda. Most of the movement's
> members had a strong Marxist bent. Most of them develped their
> artistic attitudes with WW I as a backdrop; this is outlined in a very
> long-winded way in Andre Breton's essay "What is Surrealism?"

Yes, in fact Breton, Eluard and Aragon where all members of the
Communist party at some stage.

> All this is just to say that dreams and politics are not mutually
> exclusive domains. It is entirely possible to have a political dream.

Quite true. I misunderstood your intention, as I wrongly assumed the
simplistic analogy.

> > And then you could always throw in the occasional barking chicken....
>
> Now your dreaming :-)
^^^^
be even better if I could spell :)

> Only of chicken stew. 8-)

So the interpretation is that you eat chicken, but you prefer dogs? :)

Lee.