Krzysztof Fijalkowski Knihy

The photomontage pieces that form the core of this project are built around a repeating grid of 15 rectangles into which photographs from a specific location are placed to form a playful spirit or 'phantom' of place. Each phantom is from a different location and each site chosen has personal resonances or relates to the history of surrealism in Britain and Europe. The works are both an interpretation of landscape and place as well as an opportunity to explore the history of the surrealist movement in Britain and how the idea of surrealism is often tied to landscape explored, not for its picturesque or romantic aspects but for its psychological and visionary resonance.

Surrealism and Photography in Czechoslovakia: On the Needles of Days sheds much-needed light on the location of the greatest concentration of Surrealist photography and examines the culture and tradition within which it has taken root and flourished. The volume explores a rich and important artistic output, very little of which has been seen outside of its land of origin. Based on extensive research at museums in Prague and Brno and many conversations with participants in and historians of the movement, Krzysztof Fijalkowski, Michael Richardson and Ian Walker analyse how this photographic work has developed cohesively and rigorously, from the beginnings of Czech Surrealism in 1934, to the intriguing researches of the present-day Czech and Slovak Surrealist group by way of mysterious veiled responses to the repressive contexts with which they were faced from the 1950s to the 1980s. The main chapters, ordered chronologically, are intersected with shorter texts examining specific works. The reader will find in this volume images that present challenges to our understanding of how photographic work has been used within surrealism, pinpointing individual pictures whose dynamic charge may induce instants of compelling interrogation and disruption.

Pan's Labyrinth, Stranger Than Fiction, The Science of Sleep ... Surreal and fantastic cinema is enjoying a resurgence. A movement that goes back to the earliest days of cinema, it provides an exemplary case study to introduce all sorts of concepts-auteur study, representations, 'shocking cinema', textual analysis. Neil Coombs's guide is ideal for students new to the field, providing an explanation of the origins of Surrealism followed by detailed analyses from the history of 'world cinema', Buñuel's The Phantom of Liberty, Svankmajer's Alice, Cocteau's Orphée, Lynch's Lost Highway, Jeunet and Caro's The City of Lost Children, and the work of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich) and director David Cronenberg (A History of Violence).

Exploring the contrasts between Western and Chinese philosophies, this new English translation of François Jullien's work presents a profound analysis that highlights the unique aspects of both traditions. Jullien delves into the implications of these differences for understanding concepts such as knowledge, ethics, and existence. His insights encourage readers to reflect on how cultural perspectives shape thought processes and worldviews, making this a significant contribution to comparative philosophy.

This insider’s guide will draw you into the rich fabric of Cornwall’s history and modern life. The essence of Cornwall is multi-layered. Its undoubted appeal for tourists overshadows a rich and diverse history of world-wide endeavour, cultural activities based on its own language, Methodism, fishing, mining and farming. This guide invites you to explore deeper into this fascinating place, taking you back to the time of King Arthur, to historical film settings and ancient festivals forwards to modern gastronomy, famous artists and brand new technology.

This volume asks poignant questions about what it means to be alive and inhabit the present. Living holds us between two places. It expresses what is most elementary--to be alive--and the absoluteness of our aspiration--finally living! But could we desire anything other than to live? In The Philosophy of Living, François Jullien meditates on Far Eastern thought and philosophy to analyze concepts that can be folded into a complete philosophy of living, including the idea of the moment, the ambiguity of the in-between, and what he calls the "transparency of morning." Jullien here develops a strategy of living that goes beyond morality and dwells in the space between health and spirituality.

An exploration of what it means when we say something is beautiful. Bringing together ideas of beauty from both Eastern and Western philosophy, François Jullien challenges the assumptions underlying our commonly agreed-upon definition of what is beautiful and offers a new way of beholding art. Jullien argues that the Western concept of beauty was established by Greek philosophy and became consequently embedded within the very structure of European languages. And due to its relationship to language, this concept has determined ways of thinking about beauty that often go unnoticed or unchecked in discussions of Western aesthetics. Moreover, through globalization, Western ideals of beauty have even spread to cultures whose ancient traditions are based upon radically different aesthetic foundations; yet, these cultures have adopted such views without question and without recognizing the cultural assumptions they contain. Looking specifically at how Chinese texts have been translated into Western languages, Jullien reveals how the traditional Chinese refusal to isolate or abstract beauty is obscured in translation in order to make the works more understandable to Western readers. Creating an engaging dialogue between Chinese and Western ideas, Jullien reassesses the essence of beauty.