Zivan Zivkovic
QUARTER OF CENTURY OF SIGNALISM
When on the pages of the first issue of Kragujevac
journal "Koraci" ("Steps")
for the year 1976 they wrote down the lines
of the text whose poetical role had been obviously
counted upon much - that being also witnessed
by the title “Some Assumptions of Signalism”
- Ljubisa Jocic and Miroljub Todorovic could
already derive almost all of those assumptions
from decennial creative practice of signalists.
The Assumption under number 15, for example,
was formulated entirely as a conclusion drawn
out on the basis of available and testable material.
That assumption can be simply taken as a literature
or literature-historical fact that speaks about
something existing, realized:
"Signalism is a complex creative movement.
Signalist art is a complex art of new civilization.
The complexity of Signalism is noticeable in
its jaggedness, openness and non-dogmatism.
Signalism is not just a method, and even less
so a prescribed way of creation, a school. It
is not just a visual or just a computer poetry,
nor just a discarding the object and reduction
of artistic text to a concept, idea, a reduction
of text to a blank whiteness of page, nor just
an abolition of language and introduction of
sign, gesture and sound as communicative elements.
Signalism is also in language, in its continuous
research (jargon, slang, phenomenological, technological
and other forms of verbal poetry), finding out
of new contents and forms and, finally, in permeating
of all these mentioned communicative elements."
During that first decade of existence of Signalism,
all was realized that is characteristic of a
literary movement - in this case a movement
with an avant-garde sign: published were several
independent author books, organized several
joint exhibitions and actions, published were
three signalist manifestos, started was journal
"Signal" as a herald on the basis
of which the movement itself would be formed.
Before thee features are briefly illustrated,
it should be said that in this decade the movement
ceased to exist, but the idea and concept of
Signalism have not - Signalism would continue
to live until our days, transforming and enriching
continually some segments of its own poetics,
but never renouncing its basic principles, such
as experiment, establishment of as close relation
to the recipient as possible, ludism, planetary
connections of artist and people in general,
unity of the World (matter, time, space, energy)
and language, etc. Thus, for example, two signalist
books by Ljubisa Jocic - the co-author of some
assumptions of Signalism, from which we have
started in this work - were published, Moonlight
in Tetra-pack (1975), whereby this author joined
Signalism, and “What is the Time” (1976). The
second co-author - the founder of Signalism,
Miroljub Todorovic, published during this decade
several books of poetry (the first was “Plane”,
1965, the least “Fool Puts on Airs”, (1974),
then tree signalist manifestos: "Manifesto
of Poetical Science” (1968), “Manifesto of Signalism
(Regulae Poesis)” 1969 and “Signalism” (1970).
In this period he organized three joint exibitions
of signalist artists (Milan, 1971, Zagreb, 1974
and Belgrade, 1975), and exhibits independently
several times, on Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad, Paris.
This marks period is also marked by blocks of
critical texts about Signalism - these blocks
were published in six journals, and from 1990
the number of the blocks doubles. It shows that
Signalism becomes an interesting object of research
both for foreign and domestic interpreters -
literary critics, art historians, fine art historians,
artists of various profiles, etc.
After the "Signal", started in 1970,
as an international journal for avant-garde
art (the last double-issue 8-9 was edited in
January 1973), ceased to be published, the members
of its editorial of five in a narrower sense
(Dobrivoje Jevtic, Tamara Jankovic, Vlada Stojiljkovic,
Marina Abramovic and Zoran Popovic and co-workers
of the journal in a broadest sense of the word,
continue the artistic work deepening and enriching
some of signalist poetical intentions (on global
scale impressive is conceptualist and body-artistic
activity of Marina Abramovic, for example),
or the find their own creative ways, without
visible links to those traced by Signalism.
But, the poetical principles of Signalism, formulated
in manifestos as well as in other meta texts
by Miroljub Todorovic, attract attention also
of the artists who had not belonged to the movement.
Scientific phase of the movement was complete,
or scientific poetry was continued Slobodan
Pavicevic, for example, (especially with collections
“Silicates of Flower”, 1973, and “Magnetic Storms”,
1979) and Slobodan Vukanovic (beginning from
the collection “Kissbeing”, 1973 to “Spoon-boat”,
1990).
A special impulse for a further study of Signalism
was the book of essayistic texts by Miroljub
Todorovic titled “Signalism” (1979). There many
ideas were expressed, or - let us use the already
used term “assumptions of Signalism” - exposed
in manifestos or in accompanying texts with
individual collection. On the other side, with
this book an area more has been opened that
will be creatively dealt with convincingly by
Miroljub Todorovic until our days - essayistic
prose, funded well theoretically, and often
communicated in poetic language, in a concise,
fragmentary form. Todorovic's fragment on Signalism
or on occasion of any fact concerning Signalism,
language, poetry, sense of art et sim. represent
today an unavoidable reading for all those interested
both in Signalism as a movement and concept
and the opus of its founder: an ample, multilayered
opus, inter medial from its very beginnings.
A greater interest in Signalism as in an authentic
avant-garde phenomenon in Serbian poetry after
the World War II was announced in the world
and in our country by doctoral dissertation
of Polish South-slavist Julian Kornhauser, defend
at Jagelonian university in Krakow, in the year
1981. Its title is characteristic one – “Signalism
- Program of Serbian Experimental Poetry” -
and although he had had before himself just
for a decade and half created poetry (ie, from
Todorovic's “Planet”, 1965 to 1980), its author
done successfully exceptionally important stylistic
research of signalist poetry as “a new and different
one” (not only “experimental one” in the context
of modern Serbian poetry. Translated on parts,
not completely, Kornhauser's theory if published
integrally in translation would have to say
much more to the present interpreters of Signalism,
and also of poetry written at the same time
in Europe and in the world. Moreover, with this
study the fact would be confirmed definitely
that Miroljub Todorovic stands at the beginning
of the so-called “poetry of change” in Serbian
literature.
A new zeal to this poet and to the interpreters
that looked forward for the changes entered
by him into the current Serbian poetry during
seventies and eighties was given by a book of
texts by foreign authors prepared by Miodrag
Sijakovic and published under the name “Signalism
in the World” (1984). Signalist artistic practise
has been already lasted for two decades, which
means that it is monitored and studied in the
world. Soon (actually in the same year, published
by Cultural Centre of Belgrade) also the book
“Signalism - an Avant-garde Creative Movement”,
where reports from the symposium on Signalism,
held previous year in Belgrade, by literary
and art critics, historians, philosophers, publicists,
poets etc, appeared. By these discussions the
status of Signalism was confirmed as of an authentic
and irrefutable avant-garde artistic phenomenon
in our country that had inspired or would inspire
younger creators for new searches and experiments,
no matter whether they would consider themselves
to be signalists or not. Om the other side,
and also in this compilation, the news has been
emphasized that had taken place in Signalism,
and especially communication established by
Miroljub Todorovic with artists worldwide.
Beside poetical books he writes continually
(let us mention just two from this period: “Algol”,
1980 and “Textum”, 1981), essayistic prosa,
diaries written by him and an active cooperation
with artists and institutions from Europe and
world (and especially with mail artists), Todorovic
published during the eighth decade two books
more that he, simply said, had to write - books
of polemics “Stitch for Morons” (1984) and “Cocks
from Baylon Square” (1986). In the former he
used also slang and entered into its covers
- as he said himself in an interview - the texts
published by him in several news, especially
in Zagreb "Oko" ("Eye")
in 1982. The occasion was Todorovic's attack
on an exhibition in Modern Art Museum Salon.
"Those were polemics within avant-garde
itself. I enjoyed sincerely in the fight using,
as I have noted in the introductory part of
my book all possible gimmicks in destroying
literary, artistic and bureaucratic stiff-collars".
For the book “Cocks from Baylon Square” Todorovic
says that therein he fought with traditionalists,
neo-traditionalists and their satellites, various
negators and slanderers of Signalism".
To these two books one more should be added,
although it contains texts of another kind -
the book “Diary of Avant-garde”, bublished y
Todorovic in 1990. It would be, no doubt, after
“Signalism”, one more precious source for history
of Signalism, especially when some genres differentiated
out in the years prior to its publication are
concerned (apeironistic poetry, for example).
With “Diary of Avant-garde” an octoteuch on
Signalism would be completed, originated during
its quarter-century long existence in Serbian
culture (added this author's book “Orbits of
Signalism”, published in 1985), but it does
not mean at all that research on Signalist practice
has been finished. The incredibly fruitful creative
work of Miroljub Todorovic and, then, the ample
material gathered by him in Signalist Documentary
Centre both inspire and oblige to further and
poetically even more precise researches, not
only of particular artefacts missed by the attention
of previous interpreters but also of the genres
originated in Signalism.
We will end this partial chronological review
of poetical, artistic and, in a broader sense,
essayistic creations, originated with a sign
of Signalism and avant-garde in Serbian culture
after the World War II, with pointing to what
has been really introduced as an innovation
(and as a value by Signalism into Serbian poetry
and art - and in a broader sense of the word
- into theoretical thought dealing with both
poetry and art. Of course, the genres are in
question where perhaps mist completely incarnated
a thought about innovation and autochthony,
on one hand, and whereby particular creators,
headed by their founder, have confirmed belonging
to the most creative movement in Serbian poetry
and culture in our century, on the other. Since
the genres in Signalism have been already written
about by the author of this article, the attention
will be kept just on the most essential facts
in this respect.
The fifteenth of “Some Assumptions of Signalism”
by Ljubisa Jocic and Miroljub Todorovic, cited
at the beginning of this work, is not only an
illustrative material for the theses that followed,
but can be taken as an expression of the consciousness
of the two famous poets about what Signalism
is and what it was intended to be reduced to
by literary and fine arts critics, in order
to describe and explain it "properly"
as a phenomenon, concept, movement (style formation?).
In this assumption it is marked clearly that:
(a) Signalism can not be identified with (1)
visual, as well as with (2) computer poetry
or, on the other hand, be understood (b) as
a "discarding object and reducing an artistic
text to a concept, idea, to a blank emptiness
of a page, or, still, just to abolition of language
and introducing sign, gesture and sound as communicative
elements". On the other hand, in the same
assumption, it is emphasized that Signalism
relies on language, on its continual research,
i.e. on finding out new contents and form and,
finally, on permeation of numerous elements
that provide both communication and dialectic
relation of those contents and forms. If one
always keeps in mind what is spoken about in
this assumption, and thereat does not forget
the achievements of Miroljub Todorovic and his
followers either, ie, at least that part of
material processed (ordered in theoretical/critical
respect) in relation to this movement, he must
emphasize that it is more than clear how Signalism
has enriched both Serbian poetry and Serbian
art (and sciences dealing with it) with new
verbal and non-verbal genres.
No doubt that signalist achievements can (must?)
be researched from at least two sides (judging
to the books by Miroljub Todorovic and the critical
texts of both domestic and foreign student of
Signalism): first of all, as achievements of
a movement that has implied both verballyand
non-verbally realized works (therefore works
that belong both to traditional and new poetical
practise), and then, that in this movement a
work in language has been accented (sentences
from quotation of Lj. Jocic and M. Todorovic
ended) where right verbal poetical work is emphasized
(insisted on in traditional Serbian poetry where
it was, moreover, was appreciated highly, but
which was - if looked diachronically - not always
giving good results.
Signalists did not hide their "Gogolian
overcoats" or roots (first of all and especially
the founder of this movement) and right because
they new the reaches of historical avant-garde
(both in the area of the verbal and that of
the visual), they could count on the reception
that would await in publics and critics as well
as assessing judgements that would come somewhat
late, but would be far more just. The poems
by the founder of Signalism would be found in
the reading for elementary schools even before
Signalism acquired legitimacy as a new invention
in Serbian literature.
Miroljub Todorovic wrote several times about
the inspiring heritage of Dadaistic art, and
also put Dada itself above Surrealism in speaking
about the roots not only of Signalism, but also
of artistic movements and phenomenon synchronous
to it. (One should keep in mind that among the
co-operators was also one of founders of Dadaism
- Raul Hausman). The presence of Dadaist "methods"
in Signalism is noticed first of all in non-verbal
signalist genres, although by denying word and
its meaning, ie by its reduction to one of numerous
possible signs for communication, it can be
concluded that the ludistics and the experimental
were basis of both Dada and our movement.
Visual, gesture and object-poetry, as non-verbal
kinds, are certainly not a "pure"
signalist invention, but they have not been
taken over as a mere heritage of historical
avant-garde either (of Dada or Surrealism, or
Zenithism in our country), or, still, South
American Concretism and visual poetry developed
on Europian soil somewhat before or at the time
when Signalism did. These three genres are defined
clearly in Signalism and, most important - confirmed
creatively. Not only the founder of Signalism
but also other co-operators of "Signal"
have achieved high goals in the areas of these
genres where word has been abandoned (to which
poets will be returning later on - let us rephrase
a thought of Oskar Davicho regarding signalist
art).
Another area where word is not primary, but
has its place, was mail art. The first anthology
of this art of remote communication was compiled
by Miroljub Todorovic in 1980, who thus initiated
its rapid development and great popularity in
our country. But, he played wittily with its
"rules" and "limitations"
in the project “Unsuccessful Communication”,
1979. Mail art experiences its great development
in our linguistic and cultural space somewhat
later on: signs of that development are the
journal "Total" started by Nenad Bogdanovic,
and then "Open World", started by
Dobrica Kamperelic. In the communicative Network,
beside Todorovic, Kamperelic, Bogdanovic, also
Jaroslav Supek, Sandor Gogoljak, Andrey Tisma
and other, younger creators belonging to the
second i.e. third generation of mail artists,
have been taking until our days.
Yet, Signalism has achieved its greatest contributions,
and at the same time greatest turmoil in Serbian
poetry, by kinds of verbal poetry, mainly thanks
to poetical works of Miroljub Todorovic. The
founder of Signalism not only described, but
also was writing the texts that belong to the
poetical genres where word has been retained
and preserved.
Signalism was promoted by scientist poetry and
this kind - as it has been already said - had,
and still has, its followers (Slobodan Vukanovic).
Phenomenological, technological and ready made
poetry, come out from Todorovic's creative laboratory,
were accepted readily in the time when the movement
was alive as well as later on (see the mentioned
books by Ljubisa Jocic, for instance). In some
forms they exist also in the letters of many
poets our contemporaries, who do not declare
themselves as signalist but often as post-modernists.
Yet, stochastic poetry was whereby Todorovic
has made the most forceful impact on the language
of modern Serbian poetry, and along with a subspecies
(apeironistic poetry) - with this poetry he
was scoring the highest poetical results (see
the collections “Textum”, 1981, “Water-snake
Drink Rainwater”, 1988, “Vid's Day” (Vidov dan),
1989 etc). The least attention during this period
was paid by him to pure computor poetry. He
experimented more on by the computer obtained
"material". Permutative (variable)
and statistic poetry were the kinds in "inter
phases" of his experiments, and slang poetry,
written only by him among signalists, is a unique
genre in the corps of Serbian poetry and poetical
experience in general. That feat (to write poetry
in the hidden, substandard language) is inasmuch
greater as Todorovic used that "langugage"
also in writing the shortest poem in the world
- in writing haiku.
Stochastic, apeironistic and slang poetry, beside
other kinds, marked poetical peaks of Miroljub
Todorovic and true values granted to Serbian
poetry by this poet at the set of this century.
1990.
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