01/05/2012 Guy Debord, preface to Potlatch (1954-57)

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Potlatch(195457)
ThebulletinPotlatchappearedtwentyseventimes,between22June1954and5November1957.[1]It
wasnumberedfrom1to29,withthebulletindated17August1954beingatripleissue(9,10,11).A
weeklyuntilthistripleissue,Potlatchbecameamonthlyuponits12thissue.
PotlatchwassuccessivelyeditedbyAndreFrankConord(#18),MohamedDahou(#918),GilJ
Wolman(#19),againbyMohamedDahou(#2022)andJacquesFillon(#2324).Theselastissuesno
longermentionedtheprincipalpersonwhowasresponsibleforthem.Startingfrom#26,it"ceasedtobe
publishedmonthly."
Potlatchpresenteditselfasthe"informationbulletinoftheFrenchgroupoftheLettristInternational"
(#121),thenasthe"informationbulletinoftheLettristInternational"(#2229).TheLettrist
Internationalwastheorganizationofthe"LettristLeft,"whichin1952imposedasplitinthe"Lettrist"
artisticavantgarde,andfromthatmomentexplodedit.[2]
Potlatchwassentgratuitouslytoaddresseschosenbyitseditors,andtoseveralpeoplewhoaskedto
receiveit.Itwasneversold.Initsfirstissue,Potlatchwasprintedin50copies.Attheend,itsprintrun,
throughconstantincrease,reached400orperhapseven500copies.Precursortowhatbecamecalled
"piratepublishing"[l'editionsauvage]around1970,buttruerandmorerigorousinitsrejectionof
marketrelations,Potlatchobeyingitstitle[3]wasonlygivenawayforfreeduringthetimeitwas
published.
ThestrategicintentionofPotlatchwastocreatecertainliaisonstoconstituteanewmovement,which
wastobethenandthereareunificationofavantgardeculturalcreationandtherevolutionary
critiqueofsociety.In1957,theSituationistInternationaleffectivelyformedonsuchabasis.Onewill
recognizesituationistthemesasalreadypresenthere,inthelapidaryformulationsdemandedbythis
specialmeansofcommunication.
Thepassageofmorethanthirtyyears,exactlybecausethesetextshavenotbeencontradictedby
subsequentevents,introducesacertaindifficultyfortoday'sreaders.Atpresent,theyhavedifficulty
conceivingunderwhichformsthebanalitiesalmostuniversallyacceptedthesedayswerepresentedand,
consequently,theyhavedifficultyrecognizingtheideasthat,thenscandalous,willruinthem.The
difficultyisstillgreater,duetothefactthatthesespectacularformshaveapparentlychanged,everythree
months,almosteveryday,whileforseveralcenturiesthecontentofdispossessionandfalsificationhas
notbeenpresentedassomethingthatcanbechanged.
Inversely,thetimethathaspassedwillalsofacilitatethereaderonanotheraspectofthequestion.The
judgmentofPotlatchconcerningtheendofmodernartseemedveryexcessivein1954.Oneknows
now,duetoanexperiencethatisalreadylongnoonecanadvanceanotherexplanationofthefact,
althoughonesometimestrieshardtoputitintodoubtthat,since1954,onehasneverseenappear,in
anyfield,asingleartistinwhomonecanrecognizearealinterest.[4]Onealsoknowsthatnoone
outsidetheSituationistInternationalhaswantedtoformulateacentralcritiqueofthissociety,which
neverthelessfallsaroundusandpoursforthanavalancheofdisastrousfailuresandisalwayspressedto
accumulatemore.
01/05/2012 Guy Debord, preface to Potlatch (1954-57)
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[1]Translator'snote:DeborddoesnotmentionthatPotlatch#30(#1inanewseries)waspublishedon
15July1959inAmsterdambytheDutchsectionoftheSituationistInternational.Itcontained"The
RoleofPotlatch,ThenandNow,"writtenbyGuyDebord(astranslatedbyReubenKeehan):
PotlatchwasthenameoftheinformationbulletinoftheLettristInternational,29issuesof
whichwereproducedbetweenJune1954andNovember1957.Aninstrumentof
propagandaduringthetransitionalperiodfromtheinsufficientandfailedattemptsofpost
waravantgardiststotheorganizationoftheculturalrevolutionnowsystematicallyinitiated
bythesituationists,Potlatchwaswithoutdoubtthemostradicalexpressionofitstime,that
istosaythemostadvancedsearchforanewcultureandanewlife.
Whateverfortunesouractivitymighthaveknown,itwasPotlatchalonethatfilledthevoid
intheculturalideasofanerathatgapingholeinthemiddleofthe1950's.Itisalready
certainthathistorywillseeitnotasawitnesstothefidelityofthemodernspiritduringthe
reignofreactionaryparody,butasadocumentoftheexperimentalresearchthatwouldbe
thecentralconcernofthefuture.Butthisfutureisnowitisthegameofeveryoneofour
lives.TherealsuccessthatmaybeattributedtoPotlatchisinitsservingtounitethe
situationistmovementonanewandgreaterfieldofoperations.
PotlatchtookitsnamefromtheNorthAmericanIndianwordforaprecommercialformof
circulationofgoods,foundedonthereciprocityofsumptuousgifts.Thenonsalablegoods
whichsuchafreebulletincoulddistributeweredesiresanduneditedproblemsanditwas
theirprofundityforothersthatconstitutedagiftinreturn.Thisexplainswhytheexchange
ofexperienceinPotlatchwasoftensuppliedasanexchangeofinsults,thesortofinsults
thatweowetothosewhoseideaoflifeisinferiortoourown.
SincethefoundingconferenceoftheSIatCosiod'Arroscio,Potlatchhasbelongedtothe
situationists,whobrokeoffitspublicationalmostimmediately.However,on[Maurice]
Wyckaert'ssuggestion,theMunichsituationistconferenceadoptedtheprincipleofthe
publicationofanewseriesofPotlatch,thistimeservingsolelyasaninteriorliaisonamong
thesectionsoftheSI.TheeditingandproductionofPotlatchhasbeenplacedunderthe
controloftheDutchsection.
ThenewtaskofPotlatch,inadifferentcontext,isasimportantastheold.Wehavemoved
on,andthusincreasedourdifficulties,nottomentionthechancesofcontributingtoa
completelydifferentendthanthatintended.Weliveaswemust,therealinnovatorsuntil
theoverthrowofallthedominantconditionsofculturewiththiscentralcontradiction:we
areatonceapresenceandacontestationinthesocalled"modern"arts.Wemustpreserve
andsurmountthisnegativity,supersedingitonasuperiorculturalterrain.Butourmethods
cannotbedrawnfromthegivenmeansofaesthetic"expression,"norfromthetastesthat
feedonthem.TheSImightbeagoodinstrumentforthesupersessionofthislaughably
stagnantworldoritcouldcongealintoanevengreaterobstacle:a"newstyle."Weintend
topushitasfarasitwillgo.WeintendPotlatchtoworkusefullytowardthisend.
Asecondissuewasplanned,butnevercameout.SeelettersfromDebordtoConstantdated16
September1959,22September1959,25September1959,and8October1959.
[2]Translator'snote:the"Lettrist"artisticmovement,foundedbyIsidoreIsouin1948,continuedto
01/05/2012 Guy Debord, preface to Potlatch (1954-57)
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existwellintothe1960s.
[3]Translator'snote:seeGeorgesBataille,"TheNotionofExpenditure"(1933)inVisionsofExcess:
SelectedWritings,19271939(UniversityofMinnesotaPress,1985).
[4]Translator'snote:OK,we'llplayalong.WhataboutElvisPresley?
(PublishedinGuyDebordCorrespondance,Vol6:Janvier1979Decembre1987byLibrairieArtheme
Fayard,2006.Exceptwherenoted,translatedfromtheFrenchbyNOTBORED!May2007.)
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