 | ― Or, as my grandmother once put it to my mother: ‘Your father would be a wonderful man, if only he were different. ― Ha ― Yes, ha. A whole epic of pain and suffering reduced to a single sentence. ― Matrimony as a swamp, as a lifelong exercise in self-delusion. |
Learn more about the frontispiece on wikipedia.
Here’s another way to interpret this illustration:
The incorporation of the father on the part of the sons corresponds to the incorporation of the sons of the part of which, upon the death of the father, substitutes for him. What else does the celebrated image of the Leviathan represent, composed as it is of many small human forms wedged in together one against the other in the shape of a scale of impenetrable armor, if not the inclusion again of the murderous sons on the part of the “second” father in one’s own body? (Communitas. The Origin and Destiny of Community by Roberto Esposito, trans. by Thimothy Campbell, Standford: Stanford University Press, [1998]2010, p. 40)
| One day the expelled brothers joined forces, slew and ate the father, and thus put an end to the father horde. Together they dared and accomplished what would have remained impossible for them singly. Perhaps some advance in culture, like the use of a new weapon, had given them the feeling of superiority. Of course these cannibalistic savages ate their victim. This violent primal father had surely been the envied and feared model for each of the brothers. Now they accomplished their identification with him by devouring him and each acquired a part of his strength. The totem feast, which is perhaps mankind’s first celebration, would be the repetition and commemoration of this memorable, criminal act with which so many things began, social organization, moral restrictions and religion. |
Previously on Skandalon: Freud
“Dolk Lundgren, or simply Dolk (Norwegian for dagger/knife), is a Norwegian stencil artist whose work has rapidly gained popularity since first being introduced to the masses via Wooster Collective (street works) and Pictures on Walls (POW) (commercially available prints). His “official” biography, courtesy of POW, stated, “The premier stencil artist in Norway and wise beyond his years, Dolk has been voted ‘most likely to succeed’ by his classmates at vandal school.” POW went on to say, “Direct from Bergen, Norway we present Dolk Lundgren. An exciting new artist who lists amongst his hobbies ‘sex, sex, and vandalism’.” Dolk’s profile from Stencil Revolution lists his occupation as “fluffer” and states his interests as “stencils, painting, exploring, sex.” (much more)
Visit the Dolk Forum.
”Bicycle Thieves (Italian: Ladri di biciclette, also known as The Bicycle Thief) is a 1948 Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of a poor man searching the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Luigi Bartolini and was adapted for the screen by Cesare Zavattini. It stars Lamberto Maggiorani as the poor man searching for his lost bicycle and Enzo Staiola as his son.” (Wikipedia)
