Category Archives: Uncategorized

On vandalism

Communards pose with the statue of Napoléon I from the toppled Vendôme column

 

The Wikipedia bio of Guy Debord says “Guy attended high school in Cannes, where he began his interest in film and vandalism.”

I wonder where that came from.

But the Wikipedia article is right, of course, Debord was a vandal, whether he practiced it or not. For example, his movement was the seat of organizations like the Scandinavian Institute of Comparative Vandalism. Moreover, in The Society of the Spectacle, Debord praised “General Ludd”.

I used to be a practicing vandal too when a malcontent teenager.

And I’m still in favor of creative destruction.

I started thinking about vandalism when I researched dérive, which revolves around the “improper use” of certain city quarters, using them for something they were not intended for; and détournement, which is just one step away from vandalism.

I was also reminded of the surrealist architectural project Experimental Research into Certain Possibilities of Irrational Embellishment of a City.

And then the story of Gustave Courbet and the Vendome Column came to mind, “the century’s most radical artistic art,” according to the pamphlet “The Revolution of Modern Art and the Modern Art of Revolution“.

But the ‘Vendome Column’ episode was a tragic one for Gustave Courbet, really.

It ruined Courbet.

Just before he died.

‘In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni’ by Guy Debord is ‘world cinema classic’ #187

In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni (1978, Guy Debord) is world cinema classic #187

I watched all of this film yesterday, sparked by a renewed interest in Guy Debord, who I probably discovered in June 1994 (exactly 20 years ago) via the Wired article by R. U. Sirius on French theory, back in the day when Wired was a cool magazine.

There are several reasons why the life and work of Guy Debord should quicken your imagination:

  1. The cover of his book Mémoires is made of sandpaper to maximize damage to neighboring books when placed in and out the library shelf.
  2. His anti-film Howlings in Favour of de Sade consists of black and white screens (no images) during 52 minutes.
  3. His citing of Feuerbach’s The Essence of Christianity.
  4. He is the protagonist of the excellent read Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century.
  5. He defined the term psychogeography and practiced la dérive and détournement.

I also posted two ‘Debord’ photos[1] [2] on Tumblr.

American grotesque

American Grotesque: The Life and Art of William Mortensen (2014)
[Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]

I discovered the work of American photographer William Mortensen in May 2005 via the photo Human Relations. It is the photo of the face of a man whose eyes are gouged out by the pointing fingers of one hand.

Coming November Feral House is to publish American Grotesque: The Life and Art of William Mortensen.

A fitting title.

Although it could also have been named American Surrealism …

When I think about the American grotesque, I think of Poe and Bierce, of Weegee and Arbus, of Ren and Stimpy.

And perhaps now of William Mortensen.

PS. On the cover is L’Amour, an offshoot of the dark fin de siècle fascination with human female/ape contact.

Running off to join the circus

A Party of Charlatans in an Italian Landscape (1657) by Karel Dujardin

This painting makes me want to run off and join the circus. Or join this band of quacks. Travelling from village to village, passing these landscapes and ruins.

I’m also fascinated with the Scaramouche man in black, standing on tiptoe and stooping his head. He reminds me — obliquely, always obliquely — of Antoine Watteau’s L’indifférent picture.

The colours are unfortunately not ‘true’. The original is much darker I presume. Perhaps more like this one[1].

Concerning the true color of paintings online. Consider this for example[2]. Notice how the colors vary? It’s impossible to find out the true color of the painting unless you visit the website of the museum where the painting is located.

I wonder if Google Art Project has a policy?

World music classic #883

I sometimes jog, usually along the Antwerp quays, from the Ledeganckkaai to the D’Herbouvillekaai and back.

While running this morning “Walk On By,” a song on lovesickness by Dionne Warwick popped into my head. Do not ask me why, because I’m not particularly lovesick. Maybe running reminded me of walking.

Anyway. Lovesick. Sick of love. The first time I heard someone saying that love is a mental illness was by Thomas Szasz.

Love being a mental illness is a view on romantic love reflected in common parlance in expressions such as “I love you madly” and “I’m crazy about you.”

PS. “Walk on By” is now ‘World music classic‘ #883 and sits next to “Wake the Town” and “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.”

World music classic #882

“Smokestack Lightning” (1956) by Howlin’ Wolf (1910 – 1976) is ‘world music classic‘ #882.

“Smokestack Lightning”  is on the soundtrack to The Wolf of Wall Street, a boring film about boring people who think they are interesting because they are high.

It’s astonishing how cocaine has shaped the history of the West since the 1970s.

The Wolf of Wall Street reminded me of American Psycho.

I liked American Psycho a lot better.

Other 1956 ‘world music classic’ compositions include “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley, “Fever” by Little Willie John and “Love Is Strange” by Mickey & Sylvia.