I'm very intrigued and want to know too. I have no idea what the significance is, but I guess the Gentress may know, as she has a wonderful knowledge of all things Surrealist.
"The symbol is based on a passage from Lautreámont: 'Turn towards swan lake; and, I will tell you later why, there is among the flock one completely black, bearing an anvil, topped by the purifying cadaver of a crab, that inspires with good reason the mistrust of the other aquatic comrades.'"
a slightly different translation here: http://books.google.com/books?id=PYwfvEUJqUUC&pg=PA271&lpg=PA271&dq=swan+lake+Lautre%C3%A1mont&source=bl&ots=7Y5Hwq2r1i&sig=Totb3uo63UDFVw-j5yZk4jfQr9A&hl=en&ei=zhvpStDbFae8tgOYy_zUCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false
I first read Maldoror (Lykiard translation) at 17 as I slobbered through an awful Philly public high school. This probably explains my blog if not my entire life. (Always searching for another primal experience.) I re-read it sometime in my 20s. Both times I swore I would never do it again, but it might be time.
I'm very intrigued and want to know too. I have no idea what the significance is, but I guess the Gentress may know, as she has a wonderful knowledge of all things Surrealist.
ReplyDeleteIt is a crab on an anvil. The imageis from Lautreamont. It is from the flag of the bureau of surrealist research in amsterdam.
ReplyDeleteThank you anonymous! I'll add that to the main post.
ReplyDelete"The symbol is based on a passage from Lautreámont: 'Turn towards swan lake; and, I will tell you later why, there is among the flock one completely black, bearing an anvil, topped by the purifying cadaver of a crab, that inspires with good reason the mistrust of the other aquatic comrades.'"
ReplyDeletea slightly different translation here: http://books.google.com/books?id=PYwfvEUJqUUC&pg=PA271&lpg=PA271&dq=swan+lake+Lautre%C3%A1mont&source=bl&ots=7Y5Hwq2r1i&sig=Totb3uo63UDFVw-j5yZk4jfQr9A&hl=en&ei=zhvpStDbFae8tgOYy_zUCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Sweet.
ReplyDeleteI first read Maldoror (Lykiard translation) at 17 as I slobbered through an awful Philly public high school. This probably explains my blog if not my entire life. (Always searching for another primal experience.) I re-read it sometime in my 20s. Both times I swore I would never do it again, but it might be time.