Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 22:59:59 GMT
From: anacmar-AT-mail.telepac.pt (Carlos Martins)
Subject: Re: LISTEN CAREFULLY - "Hunting valets"


LISTEN CAREFULLY..... do you hear that noise? Well, don`t worry, most
probably it`s the anal windness of a bum pissing near the Metro station.
The train it has just stopped at the Cimetiere du "Centre Pompidou" and taken
on a passenger.You will recognize him as Andre Breton. He enters the nearly
deserted car, and sits opposite another man. You will recognize this second
man as the poet Benjamin Peret. Both were "dead".

LISTEN CAREFULLY.....  you can hear what they are saying.

BP -    Bonjour Andre, so you read it also, I knew you would be taking this
train.

AB -   Bonjour Peret, Yes i read it... it was unbelievable. Can you imagine
       how the people they understand Surrealism today.

BP     True, true, but at least some of the waves of unconformity and a
       certain  spirit of rebellion are still out there; but tell me,
       Andre, despite differences on historical and social circumstances
       just to say these, how can they haven`t forgotten the much of what
       we stood for?

AB -   Well, they have NOT forgotten it`s true.  Even differently from
       ours they KNOW it. Fortunately most of them had the sense to not
       followed me as a priest when i demanded the deep hiding of
       Surrealism. Even by different manners but, i repeat under different
       circumstances, the struggle is out there. After all was the system that
       really was the only benefitiary of that demand. The system, and in
       particular the corporations, publicity and media are using many, if not
       every the "surrealist technics" i warned against, just to manipulate
       and slave people, you know that Benjamin. Should we have reacted as a
       religious sect as sometimes we did? After all, aren't we that
       always defended  that spirit blows when and where it wants? Why to
       stop that spiritual energy that wasn`t only ours? Why to stop that
       spirit of rebellion that wasn`t only ours?  Are we a kind of Gods or a
       shit like that? We never wrong are ourselves? Well, Benjamin look at
       the windows. You may close it but not those from the spirit. More than
       bosses of this revolution we were more like "fascinateurs fascines" and
       messengers,  from the kind that only exist in dreams.
       However only the less advised about Surrealism is can follow us as if
       we were Popes and the Surrealism wasn`t a dialectic movement for the
       mind's emancipation but simply another more academicism crowned with
       some of the "old masters". Even i don`t escaped myself to such sort of
       deification (haven`t you seen what happened at the "Pompidou Centre"?
       Well, it seems you you haven`t this sort of "post- morten" banquet
       petit- bourgeois, probably because you have in favour of you the fact
       you fighted on the ground, some of our most powerful ennemies (fascism,
       bourgoisie, stalinism) during the Spain Revolution.

BP - yes, you are right Andre. Like mostly of young students that don`t trust
     in their own capabilities, some people followed us religiously as a
     sect, not really looking Surrealism as a state of mind, also a
     dialectical way, a manner of ... well you know what i mean. Not a
     end itself but just a way. Ihey must to follow in some creative way,
     and not reducing themselves to censor or criticizing the others without
     creating anything or even helping with system.  These people,
     similarly as other believers, seems to look Surrealism dogmatically
     reading it as a Bible, and the surrealist manifestos you wrote, as a kind
     of ten commandements.

AB - Some thought that poetry could be killed if they simply could obstruct
     young surrealists to create NEW things, by different means but with the
     same spirit of rebellion and unconformity. Well, individuals and groups
     are out there still keeping the flame alive.

BP - They even have another possibilities we hadn`t. Why to not use it
     mainly develop it? Now that their voices can reach every
     continents, why to not use it in a revolutionary way as we did it under
     other circumstances.

AB - I come back to the subject of deification. Only dogmatic minds
     can't see that in most things we really acted under the pressure
     of circumstances. The times were different from now.
     See, as for example, the positions we take against religion. Many of
     us related it with the intention of reconciliate Surrealism with
     Religion. Sometimes we reacted like common atheists. As surrealists we
     must to look and learn every aspects of life, either be religious,
     mystical, scientific, magic, alchimic, social, ecologic and so on...
     Certainly with a surrealist approaching but we have to look at all of it.
     Then in such circumstances we had to react against Carrouges and
     others since we considered them as religiously engaged. However the
     time proved how his books was very fondamental even to the learning of
     relations between Surrealism and the esoterism ("Andre Breton et les
     donnes fondamentales du Surrealisme") and about the universal scope of
     the symbol in the surrealist concept and its dialectical significancy
     ("Surrealist sismography - Polarity of Symbol").
     Well, we even signed a track against him entitled "Haute
     Frequence". Do you remind it ?

BP - Well, flames are flames and worst than that, Bataille and others called
     you "Un Cadavre". So...
     However the track against Carrouges probably nowadays seemed more
     as if surrealists suddendly decided to fight and insult not the
     priests and the chiefs of every religions but Rene Alleau, Rene
     Guenon and so many others, due their interests and researches on the
     sacred and the symbolic, so, not considering the fact that, in most
     areas, their purposes are coincident with surrealists.


AB - In fact, the point it`s not to reconciliate religion and
     mysticism with Surrealism, but studying profoundly on the subject. Well,
     see what Luke wrote at the surrealist list on "Internet".
     Have you read it? As regards Science we also make some mistakes and our
     interest on scientific matters was pratically worthless
     as Pierre Petiot have denounced in there.

BP - Agree. The same as in political side where we make many mistakes just to
     say the least. The affiliation on Communist Party is nowadays
     mostly of times, considered as very non surrealist itself. Of course and
     differently from the earlier times, we were then totally wrong and since
     the begining we`ld must react firmly and with total independance against
     totalitarianism from the Communist Party and also against other
     reactionary tendancies on leftist organizations.

AB - Now i have to leave you.
     Just a few words to say that Surrealism, contrarily what is used
     to say, don`t need to born again because it never dead.
     Well, you know this makes part of the campaigns against every that moves
     in defense of Freedom, Love and Poetry.  Mainly as a state of mind and a
     movement (probably always condamned to be alone and misunderstood)
     but never a school or a new aesthetical academicism, Surrealism will
     continue to burn the fields of rationalism and claiming for a real
     poetical reconciliation the man with life.

BP - Well, i have to leave too. Have to drink something at the bar and
     later visit Benoit and sign a track written by the companions on the
     "Internet" s-list. Meanwhile take a look at "Manticore" ...

AB - Yes, i will do. So, Good Bye Benjamin.
BP-  Good Bye Andre.



carlos
(be patient as regards my english - have to learn more)










Temporary Exhibition at http://www.openart.com/artistes/martins/accueil.htm