Monthly Archives: May 2008

What’s on

Peellaert and Khnopff

A juxtaposition of Guy Peellaert for David Bowie‘s “Diamond Dogs” album cover, 1974 and Fernand Khnopff, “The Caress” via gatochy

The age of maturity by Camille Claudel

“The age of maturity” (1894) by Camille Claudel

The man is Rodin, the imploring woman Camille Claudel and the woman who is leading Rodin away is his wife Rose Beuret. This sculpture was made after the break-up of Rodin and Claudel, after which she went “mad” and was locked up by her family and influential brother for life.

“Talk about genetic deficiencies”

This film is the 46th entry in the category World Cinema Classics.

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esl2NNOtHQE&]

‘Dueling banjos’ scene in Deliverance (1972) by John Boorman

Four Atlanta men go on a trip the remote American wilderness, expecting to have fun and see the glory of nature before the river valley is flooded over by the upcoming construction of a dam and lake. The trip turns into a terrifying ordeal revealing the primal nature of man, his animal instincts of predation and survival, and even his potential for violence.

In what remains one of the most disturbing scenes in film history, Bobby (played by Beatty) is forced at gunpoint to strip naked, his ear twisted to bring him to his hands and knees, and then ordered to “squeal like a pig” as the mountain man sodomizes him, while Ed is bound to a tree and held at gunpoint by the other man.

Other 1972 films that may one day be featured as classic include Silent Running, Deep Throat, The Last House on the Left and Last Tango in Paris.

See also: Unusual Westerns

May 1968 remembrance day

Paris May 1968 revolt, photo credit unidentified

Photo of Situationist Graffiti, Paris '68.

“Beneath the boardwalk, the beach.”

European media have started to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the May 1968 revolution which spread from Paris to the rest of Europe. Ironically, May 1968, coincided with the gradual demise of the Situationist International, the Marxist movement, an important precursor of May ’68.

Similar events took place two years later in the United States, with more tragic consequences.

Adam Kotsko’s blog on the newest The Roots album, and, on Kotsko

The Roots:

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcz2E4Rs2OU&]

Rising Down “Get Busy” by The Roots: “one of the better large-label releases of 2008.[1]” –Brad via Adam Kotsko

On Kotsko

Blogging about blogging: “To some extent, I agree with Adam Kotsko that “Meta-blogging is the greatest vice yet developed by humankind.” –Adam Kotsko quoted in the The Reading Experience.
“Over the past three years, I’ve become a habitué of The Weblog, a “virtual neighborhood” created by Adam Kotsko, a graduate student in theology, and de facto in continental philosophy, who lives in Chicago.” —Scott McLemee

http://www.adamkotsko.com/weblog/

His favourite erotic site

Regarding my comment in the previous post to Paul Rumsey, I thought I’d quickly give you a pointer to the work of Glen Baxter, which makes me laugh out loud every time. This particular volume – I’m unaware if it’s one of his better ones – can be yours starting from one dollar cent. In fact, I like his work so much, that I’ve just decided to canonize it. He fits perfectly in the fantastique and also nobrow categories (mixing Karl May-ish explorers and Kafka! [1]).

Trundling Grunts – Glen Baxter [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]

A 2005 collage novel

This post is part of the cult fiction series, this issue #5

Graham Rawle Woman's World

A page from Graham Rawle’s Woman’s World

A collage novel is a form of experimental literature. Images or text clippings are selected from other publications and collaged together following a theme or narrative (not necessarily linear).

The dadaist and surrealist Max Ernst (1891–1976) is generally credited as the inventor of the collage novel. He published the collage novels “Les Malheurs des immortels” (1922, text by Paul Éluard), “La Femme 100 Têtes“ (1929), “Rêve d’une petite fille…” (1930) and “Une Semaine de bonté“ (1933–1934).

Recent examples include the 1970 novel A Humument[1] by Tom Phillips and Graham Rawle’s 2005 Woman’s World.

See also: cut-up technique, appropriation