Published here in its entirety in English, Artaud's Revolutionary Messages collects Antonin Artaud's political, aesthetic and philosophical writings during his travels to Mexico in 1936.Written around the same time as his seminal work The Theatre and its Double, it captures a crucial point in Artaud's life shortly before he was admitted to a mental asylum in which he was to spend a significant part of his later life.Revolutionary Messages contains conferences that Artaud gave at the University of Mexico, articles from the daily Mexican newspaper El Nacional Revolucionario and a study of three seminal artists of the time influenced by or from Mexico: Franz Hals, Ortiz Monasterio and Maria Izquierdo.Not only will you gain crucial insight into Artaud's time in Mexico and his vision of a "total revolution," which he places in distinction to Marxist and Surrealist conceptions of revolution, but you will deepen your understanding of the philosophical roots of his theatrical project, which ultimately shaped modern theatre and dance.The publication includes an introduction by the translator, Joel White, and a preface by Professor of European Philosophy, Howard Caygill.

PrefaceIntroduction: RevolutionI.Three Conferences given at the University of MexicoSurrealism and RevolutionHumanity against FateThe Theatre and its GodsII.MexicoPost-war Parisian TheaterOpen Letter to the State Governors of MexicoUniversal Bases of CultureFirst Contact with the Mexican RevolutionA Medea without FireEmerging French Painting and TraditionFrench Theater Searches its MythWhy I came to MexicoThe Eternal Culture of MexicoThe False Superiority of the EliteEternal Secrets of CultureThe occult Forces of MexicoThe Social Anarchy of ArtI Came to Mexico to Flee European CivilisationIII.Franz Hals - Ortiz Monasterio - Maria IzquierdoFranz HalsA Technician of Stone: MonasterioThe paintings of Maria IzquierdoMaria IzquierdoTwo NotesMexico and the Primitive Spirit: Maria IzquierdoNotesBibliographyIndex