Morning Star: Surrealism, Marxism, Anarchism, Situationism, Utopia Étoile Du Matin. English Project Muse Upcc Books

An expanded edition of revered theorist Michael Löwy's Morning Star: Marxism and Surrealism (previously published in French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Greek), this masterwork collects the author's essays on the ways in which surrealism intersected with a variety of revolutionary political approaches, ranging from utopian ideals to Marxism and situationism. Taking its title from André Breton's essay "Arcane 17," which casts the star as the searing firebrand of rebellion, Löwy's provocative work spans many perspectives. These include surrealist artists who were deeply interested in Marxism and anarchism (Breton among them), as well as Marxists who were deeply interested in surrealism (Walter Benjamin in particular). Probing the dialectics of innovation, diversity, continuity, and unity throughout surrealism's international presence, Morning Star also incorporates analyses of Claude Cahun, Guy Debord, Pierre Naville, José Carlos Mariátegui and others, accompanied by numerous reproductions of surrealist art. An extraordinarily rich collection, Morning Star promises to ignite new dialogues regarding the very nature of dissent. The acclaimed author of On Changing the World examines the ways in which surrealism intersects with a variety of revolutionary political approaches. In this expanded edition, the luminary critical theorist dismisses the limited notion of surrealism as a purely artistic movement, repositioning surrealism as a force in radical political ideologies, ranging from utopian ideals to Marxism and situationism. Taking its title from André Breton’s essay “Arcane 17,” which casts the star as the searing firebrand of rebellion, Michael Löwy’s provocative work spans many perspectives. These include surrealist artists who were deeply interested in Marxism and anarchism (Breton among them), as well as Marxists who were deeply interested in surrealism (Walter Benjamin in particular). Probing the dialectics of innovation, diversity, continuity, and unity throughout surrealism’s international presence, Morning Star also incorporates analyses of Claude Cahun, Guy Debord, Pierre Naville, José Carlos Mariátegui and others, accompanied by numerous reproductions of surrealist art. An extraordinarily rich collection, Morning Star promises to ignite new dialogues regarding the very nature of dissent. Praise for On Changing the World “His collection of essays, combining scholarship with passion, impresses by its sweep and scope.” —Daniel Singer, author of Prelude to Revolution “Michael Löwy is unquestionably a tremendous figure in the decades-long attempt to recover an authentic revolutionary tradition from the wreckage of Stalinism, and these essays are very often powerful examples of this process.” —Dominic Alexander, Counterfire Introduction: Surrealism And Romantic Anticapitalism / Don Lacoss -- Breaking Out Of The Steel Cage! -- Morning Star : The New Myth From Romanticism To Surrealism -- The Libertarian Marxism Of André Breton -- Incandescent Flame : Surrealism As A Romantic Revolutionary Movement -- The Revolution And The Intellectuals : Pierre Naville's Revolutionary Pessimism And Surrealism -- Claude Cahun : The Extreme Point Of The Needle -- Vincent Bounoure : A Sword Planted In The Snow -- Ody S Aban : A Spring Ritual -- Consumed By Night's Fire : The Dark Romanticism Of Guy Debord -- International Surrealism Since 1969. Michael Lowy ; Introduction By Donald Lacoss. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.