kurt schwitters
19Jan12
This image has been in the back of my mind often when I am drawing architectural spin-offs. It’s strange to look back at it and see how deeply in got under my skin. I always loved how profoundly non-functional it was– but how beautiful– these geometric abstract-ideal intrusions into a living space. A rich article on Schwitters’ life-long project of Merzbau here.
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Filed under: Uncategorized | 8 Comments
Gald to hear that Schwitters’ work is still so inspiring. Unfortunately the article on the Merzbau by J. Mansoor that you mention is very poorly researched and full of inaccuracies. It is therefore highly misleading in practically all respects, and as such, certainly does no justice to Schwitters’ considerable achievements in creating the Merzbau.
Very best wishes from the Kurt Schwitters Society, http://www.kurtschwitterstoday.org.
http://www.sprengel-museum.de/bilderarchiv/sprengel_deutsch/downloaddokumente/pdf/ks2007_the_reception_of_the_merzbau.pdf
Gwendolen,
That is unfortunate, as the article is dressed in respectable clothing (published by a reputable journal, out of a reputable university, from a doctoral candidate in a reputable school, carefully cited and footnoted). This is one of the primary links that comes up when Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbau is searched. I’m curious whether you have contacted the journal itself as well?
Thanks so much for your prompt reply. It is unfortunate indeed that such a poorly researched and largely inaccurate article should be published online – it’s difficult to understand how anyone, let alone a PhD candidate, could get so much so appallingly wrong in such a short space (there is even a serious error in the first sentence – did nobody notice that the Allies were unlikely to have dropped any bombs on Hanover in 1937, even if they had existed at that time?). You are right – strictly speaking I should contact the journal and ask them to remove it.
Gwendolen
Wow. What a case in point. Thanks for being vigilant; Kurt Schwitters would appreciate it!
Not sure Schwitters would approve of academic nitpickers like me. Probably much happier with wildly romantic theorising that made good publicity into the bargain…
Ha! Who knows? It’s a good reminder that information-sharing can be wily– internet age or not.
OK, I complained bitterly to the journal editors – see if they reply!