John’s excellent Pierre Coulet bibliography thread below made me realize that we here at CLP have, heretofore, presented precious too few posts which investigate the fascinating annals of 20th century French labyrinthological thought. The French occupy an important and unique place in the canon of modern labyrinthology. Undoubtedly the most intriguing, not to mention controversial, of French labyrinthological factions were the Recursivists, a group born out of a manifesto written by Matthieu Gramont in 1939.
Gramont was an erstwhile exteriorist who had grown dissatisfied with labyrinthology at large as a result of the widespread influence of New Constructivism in 20th century European intellectual circles. He reacted with ire to the dominance of Aaldian thinking in modern labyrinthology, putting forth theories that rejected both constructivist and exteriorist ideas alike. For Gramont, the walker should fully embrace le chaos de la navigation (“the chaos of navigation”), employing counter-intuitive, willfully anti-logical navigational tendencies in an effort to, at all costs, avoid both the center and the perimeter alike. Gramont’s labyrinthology was, of course, reviled by Aaldians and Gollestenians, though certain of the more idiosyncratic acolytes of the latter contingent did find his ideas invigorating (c.f. Belanger’s Gramont at the Perimeter of Gollesten). For Gramont, what mattered most was existing as “walker qua walker,” and nothing more.
Gramont met with an almost poetic demise at the young age of 27 in the Shiriri Mountain Labyrinth in 1942, apparently resigning himself to wander the awe-inspiring labyrinth for several days until he perished of hunger. The mantle of Recursivism was taken up by Arnaud Duverger, Inès Bédard, and Rémy Desmarais, the former of whom used a highly selective interpretation of Coulet’s First Juncture to provide theoretical underpinnings to Recursivism.
I’ll try to get excerpts from Gramont’s manifesto and Desmarais’ seminal essay Il y a Seulement le Couloir (“There is Only the Corridor”) posted in the next couple days.
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7 comments:
Graymont was an important contributor to the history of labyrinthology. Unfortunately, his ideas have become just that- history. That is because, in my view, they are wrong. The whole point is to reach the center of the labyrinth. Why wouldn't you try to get to the center, unless you were just plain lazy? Graymont expects everyone else to find the center for him, and then he can just stroll on over and claim victory that he doesn't deserve. Sorry Graymont, it doesn't work that way. Have fun with no one ever listening to you anymore.
One thing I would like to see on this blog is some more focus on American labyrinthologists, because after all this is America, right? I feel that the European views, while interesting, tend to be kind of wimpy, like they are afraid to really take a stand or something. Overall though I would say this blog is awesome and I have gotten four extra points already from using it, with many more to come.
so gramont actually committed sort of labyrintho-suicide? that's really insane
I wasn't aware of this branch of labyrinthology. Thanks for the informative post, Alex. I think these guys are a bit too "avantgarde" for my liking.
jon: Unfortunately, there just isn't much contemporary labyrinthology scholarship being published in America of late. We here at CLP constitute some of the last vestiges of American exteriorism. In the future, we'll be sure to post more of our own writings. I, for one, am working on an article now which investigates the onto-existential ramifications of recursion, putting late Ambrose Walker in dialogue with Duverger. I know John K. is presently working on a piece which addresses the aesthetics of the vestibule, comparing the vestibules of a number of different labyrinths both contemporary and classical. As always, thanks for your input.
Evan: Gramont was extremely committed to the theoretical framework of recursivism that he himself had laid out. I prefer to view his death as a poetic summation to his thinking, rather than reduce it to mere suicide. I think we can view Socrates' refusal to flee despite Crito's attempt at persuasion as historical precedent for such an ardent commitment to ideals.
Dylan: You might be surprised. Though Gramont was, to be sure, something of an experimentalist (much of his manifesto is written in a style of discourse that William S. Burroughs would later dub "the cut-up"), I think you would certainly find both Bédard and Desmarais to be accessible and quite edifying.
Okay Alex, I'll take your advice. Is there a particular recursivism book that you guys think would work well as a introduction??
The French gave us two things: Descartes and Nihilism. Screw these Recursivists.
Alex, thanks for the enthralling post on the French Recursivists. Their short period of activity and thought, albeit fraught with controversy and contradiction, is one that need be disseminated.
Even though Gramont's death has achieved a legendary status among some labyrinthological circles, I am stilled stunned by it. I think what still strikes me so to today the painful reality that Gramont had the choice of regression (in the strict sense), but continued his obsessively, perhaps legalistic, act of self-destructive recursion.
Also, to what extent do you think Recursivism co-opted Coulet's theory of circumambulation, and perverted into a fatal (solipsistic?) extreme?
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