Reality in Surreal?

In reading Gogol, I am curious to know the reason behind using the nose as the object lost by Kovalev, not the mouth, an ear, etc. Perhaps because it is one of the most noticeable features on the face and without it would be ’surreal’, but the  purpose of a nose can affix itself with more than just existing as a  respiratory aid. In relations to culture a nose can determine ones heritage (to an extent),  symbolically the nose coincides with attitude and ego, both which I find very relevant to the story. I thought it served Kovalev right to lose his nose, not only does the central object on his face become an outstretched pancake but his egotistical attitude becomes distressed and he becomes very self aware of his akward physical appearance. Although the loss of his mouth would have been equally surreal and comical, I have an even more difficult time imagining that, as an object itself,walking down the street as a higher class employed citizen.

What I think to be intriguing is once the object of the nose is removed from its body it is surreal, just as a nose itself, but when attached to its proper place it is realist. why is this intriguing? because its a nose! It seems so simplistic but I suppose that is what makes it surreal.

In both ‘the overcoat’ and ‘the nose’ I was in hopes that there would be an obvious moral to the story, a happy ending, or even proper revenge on whoever deserves it, but both short stories ended (for me) in disappointment. If anything the moral of the story was that we are selfish and desire petty object that are of no true necessity and if we lose those commodities we turn into agitated beings that may die because we cannot live without that desire or if it is returned to our posession we learn no moral lesson of being happy with what we have already. Sounds quite dismal but reality.

Essentially through the satirical, comical shorts stories of Gogol’s ‘overcoat’ and ‘the nose’, his stories represent reality through the surreal.

-Jessica Hay

surrealism

After visiting the surreal art show, I have come to terms with the fact that I don’t particularly like surrealism. At least, not surrealist art. I have known for some time that I didn’t like most modern art; things like readymades and installation art just don’t make sense to me. But strangely enough, most of what we now consider to be a part of our common culture seems to be based on surrealism in some form.

I’m a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy movies and novels. The more I walked around the show, the more I realised that it is the imagination of people like this that make most of the things I read in my spare time. I mean, alternate worlds, what kind of mind makes that up? I find myself wondering if the sci-fi/fantasy genre would even exist without the surealism of the turn of the 20th century. Would we be able to think up fantasy movies like Blade Runner, or Alien; or comedies like Top Secret, or Hot Shots without the basis of the surrealists?

There seems to be so much that we take for granted these days. And it seems to me that most of what we look at on a daily basis has some form of surrealism to it. So I guess it’s kind of strange for me to say that I dislike surrealism, especially when it seems to have inspired so much in the arts that I do like. But I still don’t like readymades.

Annaliese

Like, totally surreal man.

A line that sticks with me from  the surreal manifesto is the following:

“Let us not mince words: the marvelous is always beautiful, anything marvelous is beautiful, in fact only the marvelous is beautiful.”

It’s an interesting idea.  Breton mentions “The Monk”, and one can see how it applies without too much stretching of the imagination.  The Monk is a classic work of gothic fiction, but incredibly fanciful, yet grim.  It does, however, adhere to that all-powerful ideal of the sublime, and I think surrealism is likely the nature extension of that.

I could hear echoes of that in the surrealist show tonight.  The overload of images, they very WEIRDNESS of the exhibits, reached for an overwhelming sensory experience.  I especially liked the exhibit (forgive me, I forget its title and its author) that placed by the door, showing images on a computer screen with heavy breathing over the headphones.  Don’t ask me why, I’m really not sure. But you could feel what it was reaching for – surrealism can be incredibly effective at placing the viewer in a more visceral moment.

 Thinking again about what I was speaking to in my earlier post -  I wonder how many of the exhibits tonight emphasized an ‘individual’ experience over a ‘community’ experience.  I hate to disprove myself, but I think there was a fine balance.  Pieces like the “Collections” (random items pinned to the wall), I think, speak to a ritualistic, highly personal pursuit.  Others, like the servers in costume, depended on a person-to-person interaction.  probably a subject best reserved for class discussion next week.

 Overall, enjoyable night for sure.

Next Week: the Surreal Beaver Ball

In preparation for next week’s class, March 5, which will be held at NAC, please read the following:

1. An English Translation of the Refus global.

2. The CBC archives of recordings about the Refus global and the Automatistes.

3. Andre Breton’s “Manifesto of Surrealism,” 1924. Focus on the part preceding the line of circles that look like this:

ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö ö

This is our introduction to the avant-garde, which some scholars argue is outside and separate from modernity, whereas others claim is integral to it. What do you think?

Check out the lovely poster for the event, as well as the press release, and remember, that, as Breton writes: “the marvelous is always beautiful, anything marvelous is beautiful, in fact only the marvelous is beautiful.”

– Prof Steer

Exciting lecture

If you’d like to know more about visual representation in the modern period and how it has been used in revolutionary art movements like surrealism, come and see my lecture at Rodman Hall this Tuesday (January 29) at 7pm. It’s free! And it might be good prep for our evening of surrealism on March 5.

– Prof. Steer