Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 13:50:45 GMT From: anacmar-AT-mail.telepac.pt (Carlos Martins) Subject: Re: tract hi Larry sorry but surrealist`s manifesto is Breton`s Surrealism manifestos well, dialectically followed since the twenties. Our principles still remain the same but obvious with different perspectives about some subjects on there or even not so widely settled. What sometimes we are discussing here is the need of taking a collective position as a surrealist movement or group on the Net (because, and maybe you know that, the most of surrealist members are out of the Net and mostly even haven`t any computer - for example now i am the only that has access to the Net but this don`t means i haven`t connections with the rest of the members here in Portugal, on the contrary i keep in touch with them even to get their opinions about the iniatives taken here). So we don`t need another global manifesto than that written by Breton but as we are dialectics too we always need to actualize our positions in order to keep Surrealism active and not a dead thing, surpassed or just considered as an old fashin esthethical movement. In this way, contrarly to massurealism (yes i read what they written) Surrealism don`t need any labels and always suspected even of some tecnics even under "surrealist style". There isn`t any massurealism or a surrealism for masses or even a revolutionary surrealism, neo or post-surrealism. All these movements or groups, more or less as aesthetical tendencies, goes always to drink on the same sources (the sources itself) but always cloning some principles and adapting others without putting the main question of the struggle for a total mind`s emancipation and to end any kind of man`s explotation either in social, cultural, mental or political. This means that Surrealism is revolutionary too but not a political or a social movement, is poetical but don`t means we consider more poet a person that used to make poems more than a person that lives poetically (yes mentally free and by anny manner struggling for the same purposes as ours) and even hasn`t any carrier or office of poetry. Because we link poetry and life, revolution and life ever not separated. >From my side this don`t means i pretend to offend or misconsider the activities of another groups but simply to mean that surrealism still remains to be a very active group despite all the established powers, political, cultural etc. and the media, generally in every countries of this world countries are making to silence our activities. Do you knew that for example here in Portugal, during more than forty years surrealists were censored and some were arrested by the political police? Even during these times some persons that also used the word surrealism like some painters even colaborated with the regime while others were censored? This means that one may use the word like a label and be non surrealist in practice. Even more important that belongs or be side by side with a group or a surrealist movement (like on the list here where are and were really companions that thinks and acts like surrealists) is to live and work creatively as. You have to sorry if my words don`t sound to you so profound or well written as others here but as you i am portuguese and despite my efforts i still have some difficulties to express myself when approaching to such matters like define surrealism and differences with other groups. In ArtLab for instance you can take the definition and experience of companions like Barrett, Willam and Celine about the automatism in creative work. You have also other sites like that one from Jean Marc Meric in France and i am also intenting to have one dedicated to the portuguese surrealists (if Lynn, Michael or any other could make it available to us). Of course i think some readings are very needed and fondamental like the Breton`s manifestos and many other writtings from Artaud, Peret, Aragon, Dali, Alquie, Carrouges, Jose Pierre, Edouard Jaguer, Rosemont and so many others in different periods. One can`t expect to take from here a constant reference to the surrealist principles, due our need to be permanently active and actualized, proposing and confronting new ideas, considering the facts from now and not from the past, and even more sophisticated forms of oppression and mind`s manipulation. So, just to say that the track we meant here, we were discussing was referred only against the matter of CHILDXXXX and all related to the attempts of censorship on the Net. Well, i think another companions here could give some help to define you better and deeply than me the fondamental about surrealism or even suggest you some books to read and translated to american editions. greetings carlos
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