Reimagining Life: Philosophical Pessimism and the Revolution of Surrealism
Author(s): Raihan Kadri (Author)
Publisher: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press (UK)
Publication Date: 7 Jun. 2011
Edition: Illustrated
Language: English
Print length: 206 pages
ISBN-10: 1611470129
ISBN-13: 9781611470123
Book Description
In Reimagining Life, Raihan Kadri presents a pioneering critical history of the epistemological and theoretical origins of the Surrealist movement and its subsequent legacy. The book contains extensive examination and new interpretations of the oft-neglected theoretical writing of Surrealists such as Louis Aragon, Antonin Artaud, André Breton, and Salvador Dalí, in order to demonstrate how Surrealism embodied a sensibility connected to a broader lineage of philosophical pessimism—involving such figures as Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, and Arthur Rimbaud—which Kadri argues represents a particular strain of modernism aimed at breaking human thought away from the constraint of various forms of idealism, expanding the possibilities for knowledge and human freedom. This innovative, wide-ranging study deftly traverses fields of art, politics, philosophy, psychology, and literature. Reimagining Life redefines Surrealism’s place in modern intellectual history and offers a new vision of how Surrealist discourse can be connected to contemporary debates in cultural, critical, and theoretical studies.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This is one of the most original studies of Surrealism to appear for many years. A close and brilliant reading of the most important early Surrealist texts brings out their theoretical foundations in philosophical pessimism and restores a sense of Surrealism’s intellectual vitality. Artists and poets continue to explore its ideas and resources, and this book helps to explain why.” –Professor Dawn Ades, FBA, OBE, University of Essex
“Reimagining Life is a tour de force that responds in extraordinarily thought-provoking and fruitful ways to the art historical studies that dominate Surrealism’s scholarship. It is a bold reminder of why Surrealism, beyond its popular imagery, remains one of the most revolutionary intellectual movements of the twentieth century, with a lively discourse that continues to this day.” –Dr. Elliott H. King, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs; Curator of Dalí The Late Work
About the Author
Raihan Kadri has taught in the areas of philosophy, art history, and comparative studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Essex.
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