an incandescent atmosphere
“[T]he creation of the greatest works of art . . . are inevitably linked to a certain general tension of human thought, directed in a precise orientation. The birth of such a work is produced as if in an incandescent atmosphere which arrives at the critical temperature where, like a sudden deflagration, the chemical reaction produces a new quality. And like the blinding light and thunder which suddenly render visible and audible the electric tension accumulated in the clouds, the great work of art, in a powerful discharge, expresses what was in process of being born, growing, and accumulating force in thousands of human brains.”
—Vsevolod Pudovkin (1893-1953), The Force of Poetry; Cinema In Revolution, edited by Luda and Jean Schnitzer and Marcel Martin, translated by David Robinson, 1973.
Kino-Eye.
“[T]he Kino-Eye is conceived as “what the eye does not see”, as the microscope and the telescope of time, as telescopic camera lenses, as the X-ray eye, as “candid camera” and so on.”
—Dziga Vertov, 1944; Cinema In Revolution, edited by Luda and Jean Schnitzer and Marcel Martin, translated by David Robinson, 1973. I think the movies Koyaaniskatsi and Baraka, might qualify as Kino-Eye extravaganzas!
the end of the line
“In 1922 Kozintsev and I exhibited in the “Left Stream Exhibition” in Leningrad, which included not only the famous “Black and White Square”, but also another picture by Tatlin which represented nothing at all—the canvas was simply and uniformly covered with a wash of pink paint. That was really the end of the line.
Our paintings . . . were joyous collages. . . . Variegated mosaics, strong in colour. . . .
And they earned us criticism. . . . I recall . . . Punin . . . saying to us scornfully, ‘If you go on in this fashion you’ll end up in the cinema.’”
—Sergei Yutkevitch, 1966; Cinema In Revolution, edited by Luda and Jean Schnitzer and Marcel Martin, translated by David Robinson, 1973.
devil is a woman
“The devil is a woman with a red dress on,
A gleam that flits across a roving eye. . . .”
—Ada Moore, Devil Is A Woman, 1956.
Man tries to use fake $100 “Bill” bill
BATESVILLE, Ark. (AP)— . . . The man, who has not been identified, was arrested Friday after trying to use the bill to buy cigarettes at a Batesville gas station.
“The bill was unmistakably fake due to the fact that the ink was running on the bill, the president’s face was missing and for the president’s name, it had the name Clinton on it,” said Deputy Nathan Stephens.
The sheriff’s office expects to file counterfeiting charges against the suspect, authorities said.
“Of all the cases I’ve worked with phony money, this is the sorriest bill I’ve ever seen,” Lt. Brenda Bittle said.
—Batesville Guard, http://www.guardonline.com/, Oct 30, 9:30 PM EST.
sunlight and shadow
“Ah, what he had in mind and what surrounded him were like sunlight and shadow.”
—Andrei Codrescu, Casanova in Bohemia, 2002.
a sea of black ink
“The night stretched hopelessly ahead like a sea of black ink. Casanova floated in it, almost drowning, then surfacing miraculously, then sinking again.”
—Andrei Codrescu, a bad night of gambling, from Casanova in Bohemia, 2002.
queens on a playing card
“As the tablets took effect, everyone became more daring. The revived Count paid close attention to Claribelle and Libussa, who had positioned themselves like the queens on a playing card and were kissing each other deeply in their secret places.”
—Andrei Codrescu, Casanova in Bohemia, 2002.
jewels of gold and blue
“Venice, splendidly costumed in her jewels of gold and blue, floats above her canals like a mirror that reflects only herself.”
—Andrei Codrescu, Casanova in Bohemia, 2002.
The secret
“The secret of knowing just how much light one must let fall into a room or on a part of one’s body is as intricate and complex as the lacemaker’s or the glassblower’s art.”
—Andrei Codrescu, Casanova in Bohemia, 2002.