Antonin Artaud: The Scum of the Soul (Palgrave Studies in Modern European Literature)

This book serves as analysis of the aesthetics of materiality in the multifaceted work of Antonin Artaud, one of Twentieth-Century France's most provocative and influential figures, spanning literature, performance, art, cinema, media and critical theory. Antonin Artaud is one of the most challenging and provocative figures in twentieth-century France. Hugely influential on critical theorists from the post-war period up to the present day, Artaud's work continues to be discussed in theatre studies, critical theory, avant-garde art, performance practice and film studies. Taking a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, reading his work alongside Daniel Paul Schreber, Georges Bataille, Lewis Carroll, Germaine Dulac and Carl Theodor Dreyer, Antonin Artaud: Scum of the Soul delves into the heart of Artaud's creative project, situating this at the level of the material object: the paper on which he wrote, the space of the performance, the film-strip and the tape recording. This illuminating book will be of major significance to readers interested in corporeal revolt and the power of gesture, shedding new light on established theories of media and performance and considering the unexplored complexities of Artaud's work as it engages with matter. -- Publisher's description The limits of representation -- Through the digestive system -- Theatre, magic and mimesis -- Artaud on film -- Artaud on paper -- The machinic body. Ros Murray. Includes bibliographical references and index. Includes filmography. "Antonin Artaud is one of the most challenging and provocative figures in twentieth-century France. Hugely influential on critical theorists from the post-war period up to the present day, Artaud's work continues to be discussed in theatre studies, critical theory, avant-garde art, performance practice and film studies. Taking a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, reading his work alongside Daniel Paul Schreber, Georges Bataille, Lewis Carroll, Germaine Dulac and Carl Theodor Dreyer, Antonin Artaud: The Scum of the Soul delves into the heart of Artaud's creative project, situating this at the level of the material object: the paper on which he wrote, the space of performance, the film-strip and the tape recording. This illuminating book will be of major significance to readers interested in corporeal revolt and the power of gesture, shedding new light on established theories of media and performance and considering the unexplored complexities of Artaud's work as it engages with matter"--Provided by publisher