[ilds] durrell & kitsch

[Charles Sligh]

Bruce Redwine wrote:
> A further note on kitsch, which is a fascinating topic.  I'm thinking 
> of art and a book that Gillo Dorfles published back in 1969, /Kitsch: 
>  The World of Bad Taste./  Many of Dorfles's examples have a glossy 
> quality.  French and English "Orientalism," as seen in 19th century 
> paintings, also has this character, which so annoyed Edward Said (a 
> Palestinian who grew up in Egypt) that he put such a painting on the 
> cover of his famous book, /Orientalism/ (1978).  De Mille's /Ten 
> Commandments/ (1956) is an extended study in kitsch — unintentionally, 
> of course.  I think Marcus has something like this in mind when he 
> refers to Pursewarden's "kitsch genius."  Ludwig's sayings are glossy, 
> very attractive, and highly literate — but suspect under closer 
> examination.   
Yes--here I think I follow.

A critic uses "Kitsch" as a policing term. 

Funny how the use of the term "Kitsch" in a negative sense now sounds 
antiquated, prissy.

There have been a number of artistic revolutions since one could wield 
the term in a dismissive way, and the borderlines between "popular" and 
"mass appeal" and "high art" are not quite so clear.

Kitsch art--self-conscious kitsch and naive kitsch--in some ways holds a 
sexier cache than the works that artistic mandarin and literary brahman 
once praised.

> Ludwig's sayings are glossy, very attractive, and highly literate — 
> but suspect under closer examination. 

Yes, and yes, and yes--but I would ask for a follow up about that 
"suspect" business, Bruce. 

That implies that we have not already paid attention to Pursewarden.  He 
writes again and again throughout the /Quartet/ that his readers are 
taking him far too seriously.   He asks that his readers take a knife to 
him &c. &c.

I think that we have paid better attention, no?

Thanks for all of this posting--

Charles

-- 
********************************************
Charles L. Sligh
Assistant Professor
Department of English
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
charles-sligh at utc.edu
********************************************