Conor Kostick: Art and Revolution — A Review of John Molyneux’s Dialectics of Art
The topÂic of art and revoluÂtion deserves a much betÂter book than John Molyneux’s The DiaÂlectics of Art. This critÂicÂal review explains why.
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Category: History / Politics
Blake and the Mad Crew: The Ranters and the Historians
While A L MorÂton thought Blake may have read the work of the Ranter, AbiezÂer Coppe, modÂern hisÂtorÂiÂans say there is no evidÂence of Blake being familÂiÂar with Ranter texts. How much do Blake’s ideas overÂlap with The Ranters? I look at the JusÂtiÂficÂaÂtion of the Mad Crew (1650) to compare.
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William Blake as a Revolutionary Poet
Few could deny that WilÂliÂam Blake supÂporÂted the radÂicÂal politÂics of his time, yet revoluÂtionÂary ideas were not an adjunct to his visÂionÂary geniÂus, but the livÂing heart of it as a poet.
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Aleks McHugh: The Golem Returns
In the wake of the attempÂted QAnÂon putsch, and in the run-up to the inaugÂurÂaÂtion of Joe Biden, when Trump’s supÂportÂers are expecÂted to take to the streets again, Aleks McHugh conÂsiders QAnÂon hysÂteria and social media genÂerÂally as incarnÂaÂtions of Meyrink’s Golem, as porÂtrayed in the 1920 film by Paul Wegener.
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Bronowski on Blake and Industry
Although Blake’s knowÂledge of industry was uncerÂtain, his visÂion of it was not. It is an astonÂishÂing visÂion — JacÂob BroÂnowski on Blake and Industry, and Blake on JerÂuÂsÂalem and Liberty.
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The Blake Bloc
Blake Bloc, conÂceived by Poets, Artists and PhoÂtoÂgraphÂers and the banÂner designed by Artist MatÂthew Couper, brings back visÂionÂary and poetÂic anarchÂism to the conÂvenÂtionÂal march of protest. Last seen with Blake’s influÂence, through GinsÂberg, on sixÂties anti-war demonÂstraÂtions and incorÂporÂatÂing the once-proud trade uniÂon and sufÂfraÂgette banÂners of the nineÂteenth cenÂtury. BearÂing WilÂliÂam Blake’s images and his immorÂtal words — ‘OpposÂiÂtion is True FriendÂship’ — this banÂner isn’t for the bin afterÂwards with the pile of placÂards ! It’s a work of art as much as a protest in the Blakean traÂdiÂtion of WilÂliÂam MorÂris elevÂatÂing socialÂist ideals.
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Peter Linebaugh’s Red Round Globe, Hot, Burning
The Irish IndeÂpendÂent Left conÂducÂted an interÂview with the hisÂtorÂiÂan Peter LineÂbaugh about his book, Red Round, Globe Hot, BurnÂing, which disÂcusses Blake at sevÂerÂal points and makes some excelÂlent obserÂvaÂtions about him, Thomas Spence, and othÂers, and their relÂevÂance to our times.
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The Tyger and Violence
The Tyger is potenÂtially the Led ZepÂpelin of Blake poems — brash, bomÂbastÂic and unnervÂingly sucÂcessÂful. It is supÂposedly the most anthoÂloÂgised poem in the EngÂlish lanÂguage — staÂdiÂum poetry, if you like. Your chilÂdren will probÂably come across it at school. Along with the Parry’s verÂsion of JerÂuÂsÂalem, this is the Blake that people know.
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Iain Sinclair: Blake’s Radicalism
Iain SinÂclair explores the hisÂtorÂicÂal backÂground to WilÂliÂam Blake’s radÂicÂal writÂings. Filmed on the South Bank of the River Thames, VauxÂhall, London.
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Mike Pence, Ecological Disaster, and Blake’s The Fly
At the teleÂvised Vice-PresÂidÂenÂtial debate last week with Kamala HarÂris, Mike Pence specÂtacÂuÂlarly ignored the fly that came to rest very pubÂlicly on his head. This act of wilÂful ignorÂance crowned Pence’s role at the side of DonÂald Trump as ‘the man who preÂtenÂded not to notice‘.
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Michael Tencer, Andy Wilson: The Assassin
The AssasÂsin includes excerpts from all the Unkant pubÂlicÂaÂtions released since we starÂted out in 2011. There are also 100s of pages of scores, phoÂtoÂgraphs, poems, paintÂings and images, essays, comÂics, reviews, notices and maniÂfesÂtos from the AMM, its friends and supporters.
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Michael Tencer: The Worms Shall Inherit the Meek
The key to underÂstandÂing this whole cariÂous elecÂtion is INHERITANCE, alongÂside its accomÂpaÂnyÂing closest-thing-remainÂing-to-an-emoÂtion, ENTITLEMENT.
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