Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
'Ros Murray's engaging book offers an excellent survey across significant aspects of Antonin Artaud's ouevre, and outlines a clear set of principles that underpinned his creative energies. Starting with the premise that Artaud's work attempted to locate the origins of thought in the body, and considering the implications of this for his art, Murray seeks to put different disciplinary approaches and perspectives in dialogue as she approaches his output in various media. With an eye always on how the body and the text interact, Artaud's relationship with language is scrutinised, giving the reader a useful set of approaches to his activities that contextualises, clarifies and facilitates our continued engagement with that varied, challenging and expressive body of work.' - Mark Taylor-Batty, University of Leeds, UK
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
Dr. Ros Murray is a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow in the department of Film Studies at Queen Mary, University of London, UK.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Limits of Representation
2. Through the Digestive System
3. Theatre, Magic and Mimesis
4. Artaud on Film
5. Artaud on Paper
6. The Machinic Body
Conclusion
Bibliography
Filmography