Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 19:36:04 GMT
From: anacmar-AT-mail.telepac.pt (Carlos Martins)
Subject: Re: Artaud, Post-Modernism & Zapatistas  


In reply to Frank:

you wrote:

1-"we need to find our own voices..." ;
2-"to fall into the trap of just saying what already has been said" ;
3-"...if we are to rejuvenate surrealism";
4-in particular to find some new to say";
  "a lot of done today is closely related on a formal ... to the artist of the
   past" (this is not necessarly bad, not at all);
5- "...one of the few living surrealists who continue that spirit seems to me
   to be Snakmajer;
6- "There`s a lot there still needs to be understood, truly understood, about
   the artists of the past.";
7- "I haven`t seen much of Mario` works but i would expect him too
   to belong to this category.";
8- "...you have the added benefit of actually talking on a more or less
   regular basis with Mario." ;

and replying to

1- Our own voices are exactly what we are doing in everyday life and
   on the creative work we develop in everyday life.  We don`t need to do more
   than we do to rejuvenate surrealism (i am referring the artists that
   proceed their own work independently to know if they are "blessed" or
   not as surrealists. Like the alchimists they proceed their work silently
   and without any concerns to be recognized by the rest of the world and, of
   course, by the "academics" or  "experts" of any kind, even the so-called
   surrealists.  In this sense, the surrealist "work" is like in the alchimey
   process, a question of regeneration of the matter.   If the Surrealism
   needs to be rejuvenated is in those that are using most its techniques
   (the formal side as you referred) than its revolutionarian and subversive
   purposes, those that let down its sense of criticism and
   rebellion, no matter the kind of their work (the surrealists always
   criticize even some of its sources - for example psychoanalisis. Who wants
   to discuss the role of psyanalisis as part of the modern thought, but
   simultaneously referring its role in mind`s manipulation and
   man`s integration? Maybe the question is, nowadays, more than to find a way
   to rejuvenate it, is that most of us, have let down that sense of criticism
   and the spirit of rebellion that caracterize the "surrealist revolution".
   Saying this, it isn`t Surrealism that need to be rejuvenated but us and
   especialy those that are using it more or less fragmentary as po-mo did, i
   mean, dressing the surrealist "pantalon" in the way of notoriety and
   sucess. As i said before, those seriously envolved on surrealist
   activities or if you want in living poetically are even risking their
   lives. Maybe in north countries these matters of living poetically are very
   different considered than here but in Portugal most poets related or
   envolved with Surrealism died by ungry and totally disdained by the
   masses and the state. Very recently Ricarte- Dacio, a companion related
   with Surrealism since the sixties (he joined and support economically many
   surrealists when he was living in London and already here) recently
   suicided and killed his own wife and son). Virgilio Martinho, writer and
   dramatist, author and co- subscriber of many surrealist positions (namely
   with Mario, Ernesto Sampaio and so many others) died recently by suffering
   all kind of economical needs (the State, accordingly i know, suppported him
   monthly with only Esc. 20,000 (around eighty five pounds monthly!). What we
   need to rejuvenate Surrealism here? More artists dying, no?  (Unfortunately
   both are not quoted on the "Dictionay of Surrealism" by Adam Biro and
   Passeron but certainly this was due a slip made by the authors (despite
   the most complete and faithful is the book) in that concerns what was the
   most important on surrealist activities in Portugal).

(cont.)

Paintings and Collages at:
http://www.openart.com/artistes/martins/accueil.html