Manifesto foranIndependentRevolutionaryArt

Signed:AndreBretonandDiegoRivera

Source:gregadargokga1917@msn.com; HTMLMarkup:NateSchmolze&DavidWaltersformarxists.org,2001. ItisbelievedthattheManifestowaswrittenbyTrotskyandAndrBreton,althoughit wassignedbyRiveraandBreton. Wecansaywithoutexaggerationthatneverhascivilizationbeenmenacedsoseriouslyas today.TheVandals,withinstrumentswhichwerebarbarousandcomparatively ineffective,blottedoutthecultureofantiquityinonecornerofEurope.Buttodaywesee worldcivilization,unitedinitshistoricdestiny,reelingundertheblowsofreactionary forcesarmedwiththeentirearsenalofmoderntechnology.Wearebynomeansthinking onlyoftheworldwarthatdrawsnear.Evenintimesofpeacethepositionofartand sciencehasbecomeabsolutelyintolerable. Insofarasitoriginateswithanindividual,insofarasitbringsintoplaysubjective talentstocreatesomethingwhichbringsaboutanobjectiveenrichingofculture,any philosophical,sociological,scientificorartisticdiscoveryseemstobethefruitofa preciouschance;thatistosay,themanifestation,moreorlessspontaneous,ofnecessity. Suchcreationscannotbeslighted,whetherfromthestandpointofgeneralknowledge (whichinterpretstheexistingworld)orofrevolutionaryknowledge(which,thebetterto changetheworld,requiresanexactanalysisofthelawswhichgovernitsmovement). Specifically,wecannotremainindifferenttotheintellectualconditionsunderwhich creativeactivitytakesplace;norshouldwefailtopayallrespecttothoseparticularlaws whichgovernintellectualcreation. Inthecontemporaryworldwemustrecognizetheevermorewidespreaddestructionof thoseconditionsunderwhichintellectualcreationispossible.Fromthisfollowsof necessityanincreasinglymanifestdegradationnotonlyoftheworkofartbutalsoofthe specificallyartisticpersonality.TheregimeofHitler,nowthatithasridGermanyofall thoseartistswhoseworkexpressedtheslightestsympathyforliberty,however superficial,hasreducedthosewhostillconsenttotakeuppenorbrushtothestatusof domesticservantsoftheregime,whosetaskitistoglorifyitonorder,accordingtothe worstpossibleaestheticconventions.Ifreportsmaybebelieved,itisthesameinthe SovietUnion,whereThermidorianreactionisnowreachingitsclimax. 1

Itgoeswithoutsayingthatwedonotidentifyourselveswiththecurrentlyfashionable catchword,Neitherfascismnorcommunism!ashibbolethwhichsuitsthe temperamentofthephilistine,conservativeandfrightened,clingingtothetattered remnantsofthedemocraticpast.Trueart,whichisnotcontenttoplayvariationson readymademodelsbutratherinsistsonexpressingtheinnerneedsofmanandof mankindinitstimetrueartisunablenottoberevolutionary,nottoaspiretoacomplete andradicalreconstructionofsociety.Thisitmustdo,wereitonlytodeliverintellectual creationfromthechainswhichbindit,andtoallowallmankindtoraiseitselftothose heightswhichonlyisolatedgeniuseshaveachievedinthepast.Werecognizethatonly thesocialrevolutioncansweepcleanthepathforanewculture.If,however,werejectall solidaritywiththebureaucracynowincontroloftheSovietUnion,itisprecisely because,inoureyes,itrepresentsnotcommunismbutitsmosttreacherousanddangerous enemy. ThetotalitarianregimeoftheUSSR,workingthroughthesocalledculturalorganizations itcontrolsinothercountries,hasspreadovertheentireworldadeeptwilighthostileto everysortofspiritualvalue;atwilightoffilthandbloodinwhich,disguisedas intellectualsandartists,thosemensteepthemselveswhohavemadeofservilityacareer, oflyingforpayacustom,andofthepalliationofcrimeasourceofpleasure.Theofficial artofStalinism,withablatancyunexampledinhistory,mirrorstheireffortstoputagood faceontheirmercenaryprofession. Therepugnancewhichthisshamefulnegationofprinciplesofartinspiresintheartistic worldanegationwhichevenslavestateshaveneverdaredtocarrysofarshouldgive risetoanactive,uncompromisingcondemnation.Theoppositionofwritersandartistsis oneoftheforceswhichcanusefullycontributetothediscreditingandoverthrowof regimesthataredestroying,alongwiththerightoftheproletariattoaspiretoabetter world,everysentimentofnobilityandevenofhumandignity. Thecommunistrevolutionisnotafraidofart.Itrealisesthattheroleoftheartistina decadentcapitalistsocietyisdeterminedbytheconflictbetweentheindividualand varioussocialformswhicharehostiletohim.Thisfactalone,insofarasheisconscious ofit,makestheartistthenaturalallyofrevolution.Theprocessofsublimation,which herecomesintoplayandwhichpsychoanalysishasanalysed,triestorestorethebroken equilibriumbetweentheintegralegoandtheoutsideelementsitrejects.Thisrestoration workstotheadvantageoftheidealofself,whichmarshalsagainsttheunbearable presentrealityallthosepowersoftheinteriorworld,oftheid,whicharecommontoall menandwhichareconstantlyfloweringanddeveloping.Theneedforemancipationfelt bytheindividualspirithasonlytofollowitsnaturalcoursetobeledtomingleitsstream withthisprimevalnecessitytheneedfortheemancipationofman.

TheconceptionofthewritersfunctionwhichtheyoungMarxworkedoutisworth recalling.Thewriter,hesaid,naturallymustmakemoneyinordertoliveandwrite, butheshouldnotunderanycircumstancesliveandwriteinordertomakemoneyThe writerbynomeanslooksonhisworkasameans.Itisanendinitselfandsolittlea meansintheeyesofhimselfandofothersthatifnecessaryhesacrificeshisexistenceto theexistenceofhisworkThefirstconditionoffreedomofthepressisthatitisnota businessactivity. Itismorethaneverfittingtousethisstatementagainstthosewhowouldregiment intellectualactivityinthedirectionofendsforeigntoitselfandprescribe,intheguiseof socalledreasonsofstate,thethemesofart.Thefreechoiceofthesethemesandthe absenceofallrestrictionsontherangeofhisexploitationsthesearepossessionswhich theartisthasarighttoclaimasinalienable.Intherealmofartisticcreation,the imaginationmustescapefromallconstraintandmustundernopretextallowitselftobe placedunderbonds.Tothosewhourgeus,whetherfortodayorfortomorrow,toconsent thatartshouldsubmittoadisciplinewhichweholdtoberadicallyincompatiblewithits nature,wegiveaflatrefusalandwerepeatourdeliberateintentionofstandingbythe formulacompletefreedomforart. Werecognize,ofcourse,thattherevolutionarystatehastherighttodefenditselfagainst thecounterattackofthebourgeoisie,evenwhenthisdrapesitselfintheflagofscienceor art.Butthereisanabyssbetweentheseenforcedandtemporarymeasuresof revolutionaryselfdefenseandthepretensiontolaycommandsonintellectualcreation.If, forthebetterdevelopmentoftheforcesofmaterialproduction,therevolutionmustbuild asocialistregimewithcentralizedcontrol,todevelopintellectualcreationananarchist regimeofindividuallibertyshouldfromthefirstbeestablished.Noauthority,no dictation,nottheleasttraceofordersfromabove!Onlyonabaseoffriendlycooperation, withoutconstraintfromoutside,willitbepossibleforscholarsandartiststocarryout theirtasks,whichwillbemorefarreachingthaneverbeforeinhistory. Itshouldbeclearbynowthatindefendingfreedomofthoughtwehavenointentionof justifyingpoliticalindifference,andthatitisfarfromourwishtoreviveasocalledpure artwhichgenerallyservestheextremelyimpureendsofreaction.No,ourconceptionof theroleofartistoohightorefuseitaninfluenceonthefateofsociety.Webelievethat thesupremetaskofartinourepochistotakepartactivelyandconsciouslyinthe preparationoftherevolution.Buttheartistcannotservethestruggleforfreedomunless hesubjectivelyassimilatesitssocialcontent,unlesshefeelsinhisverynervesits meaninganddramaandfreelyseekstogivehisowninnerworldincarnationinhisart.

Inthepresentperiodofthedeathagonyofcapitalism,democraticaswellasfascist,the artistseeshimselfthreatenedwiththelossofhisrighttoliveandcontinueworking.He seesallavenuesofcommunicationchokedwiththedebrisofcapitalistcollapse.Itisonly naturalthatheshouldturntotheStalinistorganisationswhichholdoutthepossibilityof escapingfromhisisolation.Butifheistoavoidcompletedemoralisationhecannot remainthere,becauseoftheimpossibilityofdeliveringhisownmessageandthe degradingservilitywhichtheseorganisationsexactfromhiminexchangeforcertain materialadvantages.Hemustunderstandthathisplaceiselsewhere,notamongthose whobetraythecauseoftherevolution,andofmankind,butamongthosewhowith unshakenfidelitybearwitnesstotherevolution;amongthosewho,forthisreason,are aloneabletobringittofruition,andalongwithittheultimatefreeexpressionofall formsofhumangenius. Theaimofthisappealistofindacommongroundonwhichallrevolutionarywritersand artistsmaybereunited,thebettertoservetherevolutionbytheirartandtodefendthe libertyofthatartitselfagainsttheusurpersoftherevolution.Webelievethataesthetic, philosophicalandpoliticaltendenciesofthemostvariedsortcanfindhereacommon ground.Marxistscanmarchheretogetherwithanarchists,providedbothparties uncompromisinglyrejectthereactionarypolicepatrolspiritrepresentedbyJosephStalin andhishenchmanGarciaOliver. Weknowverywellthatthousandsonthousandsofisolatedthinkersandartistsaretoday scatteredthroughouttheworld,theirvoicesdrownedoutbytheloudchorusesofwell disciplinedliars.Hundredsofsmalllocalmagazinesaretryingtogatheryouthfulforces aboutthem,seekingnewpathsandnotsubsidies.Everyprogressivetendencyinartis destroyedbyfascismasdegenerate.Everyfreecreationiscalledfascistbythe Stalinists.Independentrevolutionaryartmustnowgatheritsforcesforthestruggle againstreactionarypersecution.Itmustproclaimaloudtherighttoexist.Suchaunionof forcesistheaimoftheInternationalFederationofIndependentRevolutionaryArtwhich webelieveitisnownecessarytoform. Webynomeansinsistoneveryideaputforthinthismanifesto,whichweourselves consideronlyafirststepinthedirection.Weurgeeveryfriendanddefenderofart,who cannotbutrealisethenecessityforthisappeal,tomakehimselfheardatonce.We addressthesameappealtoallthosepublicationsoftheleftwhicharereadytoparticipate inthecreationoftheInternationalFederationandtoconsideritstaskanditsmethodsof action. Whenapreliminaryinternationalcontacthasbeenestablishedthroughthepressandby correspondence,wewillproceedtotheorganizationoflocalandnationalcongressesona modestscale.Thefinalstepwillbetheassemblyofaworldcongresswhichwill officiallymarkthefoundationoftheInternationalFederation.

Ouraims: Theindependenceofartfortherevolution. Therevolutionforthecompleteliberationofart! AndreBreton DiegoRivera