Antonin Artaud

[Balor/SS1535]

I was surprised to not find a thread on Artaud here!  Not only historically influential across avant garde theater, film, and art generally, but also an important reference for Deleuze and Guattari with his "body without organs."  On this basis, Artaud's significance in industrial music has always been present, either explicitly or implicitly across its thematics, performance techniques, and philosophical orientation(s).  To paraphrase Sylvere Lotringer, he's one of the moderns who lived history in the future perfect...

My formal introduction to him came through The Theater and Its Double, but I had largely put him off until the recent publication of David Rattray's translation of To Pass Final Judgement on God.

Infinity Land Press seems to be the one place republishing many of his works, but I am uncertain how I feel about the incorporation of contemporary illustrations from the publishers themselves...

[cr]

Well, Artaud is somehow "with me" my whole adult life. Sometimes I'm more interested and in some kind of exploration mood, sometimes not so much. But he is always present in a way or another. I first heard and read about him in a book about Werner Schwab, who died in 1994, where the author mentioned, that Schwab's bible was the biography of Artaud written by Elena Kapralik/Bernd Mattheus.
The first book I bought was To have done with the judgement of God, after that Theatre of Cruelty, Letters to Génica and lots of other books released by German publisher Matthes & Seitz. I also have a CD on sub rosa called "to have done with the judgement of god". Have not listened to it in a very long time.
In mid 90's I saw My Life and Times with Antonin Artaud (En compagnie d'Antonin Artaud) by director Gérard Mordillat on late night TV and I was lucky, that I was able to record it on VHS tape. I can't remember if it's really that good or not, but 25 - 30 years ago, I liked it a lot, and watched it many times on repeat.
In 2002 there was a great exhibition in mumok museum in Vienna called Hommage à Antonin Artaud. It was amazing.
Apparently there was also the death mask of Artaud displayed in one of the showcases. So you could look right "into his face", if you wanted. Great experience, great times.
Antonin Artaud remains important for me, although things and opinions change all the time. He is some kind of anchor, where I can return to, when I'm lost on an other way.

Sorry for bad English and some hyperbole...