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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