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"Surrealism Is About Art."

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squid777

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Sep 10, 2002, 10:13:32 PM9/10/02
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I'm sure if art were magnified it would have a similar appearance. Is the
art surreal or the
individual precieving the art. This is not a Pipe

cythera wrote:

> http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/phthiraptera/pedhhead-labelled.html

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barrett john erickson

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Sep 12, 2002, 5:06:01 PM9/12/02
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"squid777" <ar...@x.net> wrote in message news:3D7EA785...@x.net...

> I'm sure if art were magnified it would have a similar appearance. Is the
> art surreal or the individual precieving the art. This is not a Pipe

as cythera has already observed, using the word "surreal" is unfortunate
here.

as to the question...

it is my experience that when surrealists refer to a "surrealist painting"
or a "surrealist poem", they generally mean that it is a painting or poem
produced by a surrealist and that the work fits well within the context of
surrealism as it exists among surrealists.

what you generally _will_not_ hear is any implication the painting or poem
itself has some kind of "surrealist" quality. but this isn't always clear
because you often hear remarks that imply that.

but if you examine those remarks and discuss them with whoever made them,
you'll usually find that what is really being labeled "surrealist" isn't the
painting or poem, but the _poetic_dimensions_ of that work as revealed by
the _surrealist's_exploration_ of that painting or poem -- whether those
dimensions were intended or not by the creator("artist").

and this is my preferred perspective (very similar to Duchamp's, by the
way):

"art" is a _process_of_interaction_ between the creator("artist") and the
"observer" via some medium (the painting or poem or performance or ...).
both are _active_ participants in art_as_experience_, although these actions
may be separated by vast distance or time.

"surrealist art" might therefore be seen as any process involving more than
one person where one or more participants is a surrealist actively exploring
the poetic dimensions of the medium of their interaction.

-- barrett


BLUE FEATHERS se2 (The New World Odor) is now available
(BF#4 will be available in July02)
http://www.MagneticFields.org/blue/

bar...@MagneticFields.org
http://www.MagneticFields.org/

surrealists in minnesota
Sur...@MagneticFields.org

==============================================

"Everything tends to make us believe that there exists a
certain point of the mind at which life and death, the real and
the imagined, past and future, the communicable and the
incommunicable, high and low, cease to be perceived as
contradictions."

...André Breton

==============================================

squid777

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Sep 12, 2002, 6:21:55 PM9/12/02
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Its always nice when I write to this group, a well written response is given.
Thanks again.
In regards to my use of 'surreal' rather than surrealist. I do that to imply a
broader meaning
in place of the word surrealist. Is Ecstasis by Lamantia surreal or surrealist?
The meaning of
the 'word' as you know is very misunderstood even sometimes by myself. I say by
myself
because I have collected surrealist information for years and perhaps i should
be able to
differentiate the words sublime; psychedelic; surrealist in the sense that they
do not always
mean the same thing. Someday i should scan the Neons and put them on a website.
I consider myself of a syncretic/fusion type mindset with spiritual roots from
ancient Alexandria
as opposed to considering myself a surrealist. Be that as it may, i am convinced
of the greatness
of the movement through my collections but also view differing concepts as being
equally great.
Some cool stuff came out of Futurism for example.
So parden my saying surreal instead of surrealist.

squid777

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Sep 12, 2002, 7:31:22 PM9/12/02
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>
>
>
>
> As it lay on the sidewalk near the Palace of the Legion of Honor in
> San Francisco, it was "worth" about $0.00. Move it into a display
> case inside the Palace, and now its "worth" is in the thousands of
> dollars.

> Yes, i agree

I guess since you been or live in the Bay Area, that you have visited
Anacapa or Transition bookstore many years back as I have.
Also, I was wondering if you might know any of the Alabama surrealists.
Davey William or LaDonna Smith.
It would be interesting to know something about this groups origins at
alt.surrealism

>

>
>
>
>

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Morpheal

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Sep 15, 2002, 12:00:52 AM9/15/02
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cythera wrote:

> Do you live in Alabama?

There are some who believe that that is the next terrorist target.
(Not really, but it's a good pun.)

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