File spoon-archives/surrealist.archive/surrealist_1996/96-06-11.135, message 50


From: STUART INMAN <S.Inman-AT-greenwich.ac.uk>
Date:          Thu, 30 May 1996 10:43:00 GMT
Subject:       Czech surrealists today


And, almost immediately, I find it. This was sent out on the old 
Thinknet avant-garde list which existed before Spoons came into 
being. I have left it more or less unedited. The context is not 
entirely clear, but the info is still valid.

Stuart
> 
> Jan Svankmajer has been a member of the Czech Surrealist Group since
> 1970. He lists as among the most significant meetings of his life as
> being those with the Vratislav Effenberger, the main theorist of the
> group, and another member, Martin Stejskal, a painter. He was never a
> member of the "Revolutionary Surrealists", they were a splinter group
> from the Surrealist Movement after the war who wanted to bring
> Surrealism back to Communist (Stalinist) orthodoxy. It fell apart
> quickly and some of its members went on to create first CoBrA and
> then Situationism.
> 
> It is important to realise just how his work comes out of the
> theoretical concerns and practical activities of the Surrealist
> Group. There have been a few things in English, but the only ones I
> have seen have been published in Britain, so maybe this is why other
> members of this list have managed to be so misinformed. The two main
> publications are: "AFTERIMAGE 13 - Animating the Fantastic" (1987 I
> think, has essays and interviews, including Effenberger and Michael
> O'Prey. Also, Roger Cardinal, Paul Hammond on the Brothers Quay and
> more.
> "THE COMMUNICATION OF DREAMS - Jan Svankmajer and Eva Svankmajerova"
> is a catalogue of an exhibition organised by the Welsh Arts Council.
> This exhibition had many of his films and also many of the objects
> and puppets from the films. What was of particular interest was the
> range of his non-film work, the graphics and "tactile objects". It
> was also the first, and so far only, chance to see Eva
> Svankmajerova's work in Britain. She is a painter of considerable
> power who also works in ceramics (often with Jan, thus becoming the
> compound being J.E. Kostelec). Eva has done a lot of work on the
> films.
> 
> Other members of the group are:
> Ludvik Svab (Theorist, writer. Inventor of Photocollage spontanee)
> Martin Stejskal (Painter, writer, theorist. Has made study of the
> Hermetic and Alchemical traditions).
> Jakub Effenberger: (Poet and photographer, son of Vratislav).
> Josef Janda (Poet and maker/finder of objects)
> Frantisek Dryje (Poet and theorist).
> Alena Nadvornikova: (Painter, poet and historian of the movement).
> Ivo Purs: (poet and writer.)
> Karol Baron: (Painter).
> Albert Marencin: (Collagist, poet).
> 
> Beyond the group are various independent surrealists such as the
> draughtsman and hermeticist Pavel Turnovsky, the poet Pavel Reznicek,
> Milos Sikora - maker of disturbing and equivocal objects.
> 
> I will try to give a little potted history of Czech surrealism
> another day, when I am slightly better organised. If anybody can find
> something on Devetsil and early Czech Modernism, they can get some
> idea of the foundations of the movement there. Also, "Surrealist
> Drawings" by Frantisek Smejkal is useful and interesting. I have been
> told that several American universities subscribe to the Czech
> Surrealist Group's journal ANALOGON. It is (not surprisingly) largely
> in Czech, but there are some translations into French and a lot of
> illustrations in black and white. It is well worth making an effort
> with if you can find it.
> 
> Malgosia and one or two others asked me some questions about the
> Brothers Quay. They do not regard themselves as Surrealists, although
> obviously they have been influenced by Surrealism generally and by
> Svankmajer in particular. I know very little about their background,
> except that they are identical twins!
> 
> I should have firm details of a film fetival to be held in Leeds in
> November in a few days. Anybody who is interested in Surrealism and
> film and is in England oought to get to it. It will be called
> "Surrealists Go To The Cinema" and will combine the films made by the
> surrealists, including little seen gems such as Luvik Svab's "L'Autre
> Chien" and "Backwards to Infinity" and Michel Zimbacca's "L'Invention
> du Monde" as well as the more usual Bunuel and Svankmajer. There is
> also a substantial section of films nominated by the various
> surrealist groups, but made by non-surrealists. I will post details
> as soon as I know them. The organisers of this festival are currently
> in Prague and have promised to send the details when they get back.
> 
> I hope that this clears up a few misunderstandings around this
> subject and welcome any questions anybody has at this stage. I'll
> gather together some notes from my research and send another message
> concerning Svankmajer and Czech Surrealism in a few days.
> 
> Stuart Inman
> 
> s.inman-AT-greenwich.ac.uk
> 
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