This is not surrealism and Parajanov was not a muslim and neither was Sayat Nova and I am not the Qlipoth who said Lynchian surrealism is bad and I also would not call Lynch a surrealist.
I don't like so much how the word surrealist is used for anything that is not strictly realist. Almost all of the unusual images in The Color of Pomegranates are a literal reading of the imagery of the traditional poetry it was based on. Sheep (Christ's flock) enter a church, a poet grows up among books, an angel appears to him, the lover's heart overflows and so does his cup. This has not got much to do with the psychic automatism and free associations of surrealism.
I prefer to use it for things that are a little closer to Breton's original definition, I guess.
Surrealism, n. Pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought. Dictation of thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason, outside of all aesthetic and moral preoccupation.
"I prefer to use it for things that are a little closer to Breton's original definition, I guess"
well, anon, I think Apollinaire's use of surrealism to mean exaggerated realism antedates Breton's definition and it seems a perfectly reasonable way to characterise Sayat Nova
I see, so Muzlim surrealism is good, while Lynchian surrealism is baaaaaaaaaaaad...
ReplyDeleteThis is not surrealism and Parajanov was not a muslim and neither was Sayat Nova and I am not the Qlipoth who said Lynchian surrealism is bad and I also would not call Lynch a surrealist.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Parajanov from Azerbejan? He's great by the way, but why do you say he's not a surrealist?
ReplyDeleteAn Armenian from Georgia.
ReplyDeleteI don't like so much how the word surrealist is used for anything that is not strictly realist. Almost all of the unusual images in The Color of Pomegranates are a literal reading of the imagery of the traditional poetry it was based on. Sheep (Christ's flock) enter a church, a poet grows up among books, an angel appears to him, the lover's heart overflows and so does his cup. This has not got much to do with the psychic automatism and free associations of surrealism.
but surely the effect is surreal in that it makes off-the-wall dreamlike or mystical connections between everyday objects?
ReplyDeleteThen you can call almost every metaphor and every simile surrealist...
ReplyDeleteso what are your criteria for a proper surralism then?
ReplyDeleteI prefer to use it for things that are a little closer to Breton's original definition, I guess.
ReplyDeleteSurrealism, n. Pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought. Dictation of thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason, outside of all aesthetic and moral preoccupation.
alright fair enough so how would you characterize parajanov's work and more importantly what was the intent with showing that clip?
ReplyDelete"I prefer to use it for things that are a little closer to Breton's original definition, I guess"
ReplyDeletewell, anon, I think Apollinaire's use of surrealism to mean exaggerated realism antedates Breton's definition and it seems a perfectly reasonable way to characterise Sayat Nova
sorry, predates
ReplyDelete