Documents (magazine)  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
Revision as of 17:23, 15 April 2007
WikiSysop (Talk | contribs)

← Previous diff
Revision as of 17:24, 15 April 2007
WikiSysop (Talk | contribs)

Next diff →
Line 1: Line 1:
'''''Documents''''' was a late [[1920s|1920s-era]] [[Surrealism|Surrealist]] journal edited and masterminded by [[Georges Bataille]]. Published in [[Paris]] from [[1929]] through [[1930]], ''Documents'' ran for 15 issues, each of which contained a wide range of original writing and photographs. '''''Documents''''' was a late [[1920s|1920s-era]] [[Surrealism|Surrealist]] journal edited and masterminded by [[Georges Bataille]]. Published in [[Paris]] from [[1929]] through [[1930]], ''Documents'' ran for 15 issues, each of which contained a wide range of original writing and photographs.
-''Documents'' was financed by [[Georges Wildenstein]], an influential Parisian art dealer and sponsor of the Surrealists. Given its title and focus by Georges Bataille, ''Documents'' initially listed an eleven-member editorial board including Wildenstein himself (with Bataille listed as "general secretary"); however, by the fifth issue, Bataille was the only editorial member to remain on the masthead.<ref>[http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1768599,00.html?gusrc=rss "A Playful Museum"], Dawn Ades and Fiona Bradley, ''The Guardian'', May 6, 2006</ref> +''Documents'' was financed by [[Georges Wildenstein]], an influential Parisian art dealer and sponsor of the Surrealists. Given its title and focus by Georges Bataille, ''Documents'' initially listed an eleven-member editorial board including Wildenstein himself (with Bataille listed as "general secretary"); however, by the fifth issue, Bataille was the only editorial member to remain on the masthead.
-Called "a war machine against received ideas" by Bataille,<ref>[http://arts.guardian.co.uk/flash/page/0,,1771082,00.html "Special Reports : Undercover Surrealism"], ''Guardian UK''</ref> ''Documents'' brought together a wide range of contributors, ranging from dissident surrealists including [[Michel Leiris]], [[André Masson]], and [[Joan Miró]] to Bataille's [[numismatics|numismatist]] colleagues at the National Library's Cabinet of Coins and Medals. The content in ''Documents'' was even more wide-ranging; Batailled juxtaposed essays on [[jazz]] and [[archaeology]] with a photographic series fetishizing the [[big toe]], and dedicated an entire issue to [[Picasso]] <ref>[http://www.musicweb.uk.net/SandH/2006/Jan-Jun06/surrealism.htm "Undercover Surrealism"], Alex Russell, ''Seen and Heard'', January 2006</ref> while writing paeans to the "ominous grandeur" of the [[slaughterhouse]]s photographed by [[Eli Lotar]].<ref>[http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1768599,00.html?gusrc=rss "A Playful Museum"], Dawn Ades and Fiona Bradley, ''The Guardian'', May 6, 2006</ref> A regular section of the magazine called the "Critical Dictionary" offered short essays by Bataille and his colleagues on such subjects as "Absolute", "Eye", "Factory Chimney", and "[[Buster Keaton|Keaton (Buster)]]". +Called "a war machine against received ideas" by Bataille, ''Documents'' brought together a wide range of contributors, ranging from dissident surrealists including [[Michel Leiris]], [[André Masson]], and [[Joan Miró]] to Bataille's [[numismatics|numismatist]] colleagues at the National Library's Cabinet of Coins and Medals. The content in ''Documents'' was even more wide-ranging; Batailled juxtaposed essays on [[jazz]] and [[archaeology]] with a photographic series fetishizing the [[big toe]], and dedicated an entire issue to [[Picasso]] while writing paeans to the "ominous grandeur" of the [[slaughterhouse]]s photographed by [[Eli Lotar]]. A regular section of the magazine called the "Critical Dictionary" offered short essays by Bataille and his colleagues on such subjects as "Absolute", "Eye", "Factory Chimney", and "[[Buster Keaton|Keaton (Buster)]]".
 + 
 +''Documents'' was a direct challenge to "mainstream" Surrealism as championed by [[André Breton]], who in his Second Surrealist Manifesto of 1929 derided Bataille as "(professing) to wish only to consider in the world that which is vilest, most discouraging, and most corrupted." The violent juxtapositions of pictures and text in ''Documents'' were intended to provide a darker and more primal alternative to what Bataille viewed as Breton's disingenuous and weak brand of Surrealist art. By presenting explicit, often profane imagery side by side with "intellectual" writing, Bataille used ''Documents'' to propel Surrealism in a direction he felt Breton dared not : toward an overturning of all hierarchies of art and morality, and a complete democracy of form.
-''Documents'' was a direct challenge to "mainstream" Surrealism as championed by [[André Breton]], who in his Second Surrealist Manifesto of 1929 derided Bataille as "(professing) to wish only to consider in the world that which is vilest, most discouraging, and most corrupted." <ref>[http://www.missouri.edu/~engjnc/bataille/breton.html "Second Manifesto of Surrealism"], Andre Breton, Manifestoes of Surrealism, translated by Richard Seaver and Helen R. Lane (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1969)</ref>. The violent juxtapositions of pictures and text in ''Documents'' were intended to provide a darker and more primal alternative to what Bataille viewed as Breton's disingenuous and weak brand of Surrealist art. By presenting explicit, often profane imagery side by side with "intellectual" writing, Bataille used ''Documents'' to propel Surrealism in a direction he felt Breton dared not : toward an overturning of all hierarchies of art and morality, and a complete democracy of form.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000088&sid=az_JOSfHezkE&refer=culture "Surrealism's Dark, Disgusting Side Goes on Display in London"], Martin Gayford, Bloomberg.com, May 12, 2006</ref>  
==See also== ==See also==
Line 14: Line 15:
* ''[[VVV (journal)|VVV]]'' - a [[New York]] journal published by emigré European surrealists from [[1942]] through [[1944]] * ''[[VVV (journal)|VVV]]'' - a [[New York]] journal published by emigré European surrealists from [[1942]] through [[1944]]
- 
-==References== 
-<references/> 
==External links== ==External links==

Revision as of 17:24, 15 April 2007

Documents was a late 1920s-era Surrealist journal edited and masterminded by Georges Bataille. Published in Paris from 1929 through 1930, Documents ran for 15 issues, each of which contained a wide range of original writing and photographs.

Documents was financed by Georges Wildenstein, an influential Parisian art dealer and sponsor of the Surrealists. Given its title and focus by Georges Bataille, Documents initially listed an eleven-member editorial board including Wildenstein himself (with Bataille listed as "general secretary"); however, by the fifth issue, Bataille was the only editorial member to remain on the masthead.

Called "a war machine against received ideas" by Bataille, Documents brought together a wide range of contributors, ranging from dissident surrealists including Michel Leiris, André Masson, and Joan Miró to Bataille's numismatist colleagues at the National Library's Cabinet of Coins and Medals. The content in Documents was even more wide-ranging; Batailled juxtaposed essays on jazz and archaeology with a photographic series fetishizing the big toe, and dedicated an entire issue to Picasso while writing paeans to the "ominous grandeur" of the slaughterhouses photographed by Eli Lotar. A regular section of the magazine called the "Critical Dictionary" offered short essays by Bataille and his colleagues on such subjects as "Absolute", "Eye", "Factory Chimney", and "Keaton (Buster)".

Documents was a direct challenge to "mainstream" Surrealism as championed by André Breton, who in his Second Surrealist Manifesto of 1929 derided Bataille as "(professing) to wish only to consider in the world that which is vilest, most discouraging, and most corrupted." The violent juxtapositions of pictures and text in Documents were intended to provide a darker and more primal alternative to what Bataille viewed as Breton's disingenuous and weak brand of Surrealist art. By presenting explicit, often profane imagery side by side with "intellectual" writing, Bataille used Documents to propel Surrealism in a direction he felt Breton dared not : toward an overturning of all hierarchies of art and morality, and a complete democracy of form.


See also


External links

Personal tools