RE: [xmca] Vygotsky, Luria and Eisenshtein (links to chain)

From: Achilles Delari Junior <achilles_delari who-is-at hotmail.com>
Date: Fri Oct 31 2008 - 20:39:11 PDT

Ok, thank you, Mike… I clearly understand your sugestion and agree.

I collected two references to Eisenstein at Luria’s biography by Evgenia Homskaya… A book well known of you, but to me is a good surprise (I'm far away from actual university tasks since 2000). After quote, I will ask little questions in order to know where can I search better.

Evgenia D. Homskaya: Alexander Romanovich Luria: A Scientific Biography. Plenum Series in Russian Neuropsychology. New York/Boston/Dordrecht/London/Moscow: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2001.

“An important event in Luria’s private life also occurred during those years in Kazan. He met his wife, Vera Nikolayevna Blagovidova, also a student at the University of Kazan. Later, in Moscow, she became an actress at the studio of the famous theatrical director, A. Y. Tairov. They got married at the beginning of 1923 but their union lasted only ultil 1929. In this relatively short period, however, Luria developed most of his artistic interests in theater, painting, poetry, and so on. It was then that he became acquainted with the master of the world’s cinema, Sergei M. EISENSTEIN.”

(Chapter 1. Childhood and Youth – p. 13)

“During the 1940s Luria kept in close touch with the famous film director S. M. EISENSTEIN, who made such masterpieces of world cinema as Potemkim and Ivan The Terrible. Since becoming acquainted in the 1920s, Luria and Eisenstein shareda a common interest in the psychology of art, and psychological aspects of artistic expressiveness. Eisenstein was interested very much in the phenomenon of the mnemonist Shereshevsky, studied by Luria. In 1929, through Luria’s recommendation, EISENSTEIN was introduced to Kurt Lewin, with whom he discussed the problem of artistic expressiveness. At the end of the 1920’s, Luria organized at the Istitute of Cinematography to execute various kinds of cinematic shooting for scientific purposes. In the 1930s, Luria and EISENSTEIN continued to exchange letters. Their correspondence continued during the Kharkov period and during the war. After the war, and until EISENSTEIN’s sudden death in 1948, they often met, shared books, and talked. Under Luria’s influence, EISENSTEIN wrote the
 articles “Psychology of art” and “Lectures on the Psychology of Art” (see Eisenstein, 1987, 1988-1996, 1998).

The psychology of art was also a particular theme for Luria and Vygotsky (see Vygotsky’s book, the Psychology of Art, Moscow, 1982). In Luria’s background, this theme is not very well known, although its expressions were very numeros and diverse. For example, his article written with the well-known film director, M. I. Knebel, “Ways and Means of Semantic Coding” (1971R), discussed verbal and nonverbal aspects of speech (mime, gestures) and was important for both the psychology of speech and the psychology of art.”

(Chapter 4, The Forties: World War II and the Rehabilitation Hospital-Neuropsychology in the Making - p. 39)

******

Well. I only ask you for these wonderful letters and for Luria’s article with M. I. Knebel – if it could give us some cues about what Luria think about movies and about Eisenshtein’s influence in his thinking about this as well… In other hand, the articles of Eisenstein about "Psychology of Art" seems to be the same quoted by Christie & Taylor (1993) published in Leyda (ed.) “The Psychology of Composition” – this book is already available. Do you think that can exist more than two papers requested to Eisenstein for Luria? My copy here don´t have the actual references, and I don´t have the book itself yet... And my option was to aquire Leyda edited Eisenstein's, by the moment.

All the titles I have are the following:

* Eisenstein, “Psychology of Art“, in Psycholgia
        Processov Chudojestvennogo Tvorchestva (Moscow, 1980), p. 195
(quoted by JULIA VASSILIEVA in her paper "Eisenstein and his Method: recent publications in Russia")
and
* "The psychology of composition" (211)
* "The psychology of art" (211)
* "The psychology of compositon" (same title... but another text - at 249)
(at the contents of Eisenstein, S.M. "The Eisenstein´s Collection". Edited by Richard Taylor. Sagull Books, 2006)

I'm seeing that I can not give meaninful contributions. I have made a question, and now I only have some other questions to make again. I'll wait for other XMCA contributions, by Mike and all the people when will be possible. And I will continue search data where it are availlable to me here and now. This was not my main goal today (I was thinking things about psychology and mental health), but sometimes an action becomes an activity, no?
Thank you very much, and my best wishes,
Achilles.

> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:43:02 -0700
> From: lchcmike@gmail.com
> To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> Subject: Re: [xmca] Vygotsky, Luria and Eisenshtein (links to chain)
>
> It would be great to get the info on Eisenshtein and LSV/ARL. The
> entire Stanislavsy and beyond discussion is quite broad. Yrjo has
> written on this topic.
> mike
>
> On 10/31/08, Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 10/31/08, Achilles Delari Junior <achilles_delari@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> To add more two or three links to a chain-complex
> >>
> >> 1) About Luria and Eisenshtein: "Eisenstein planned two courses on the
> >> psychology of art at Luria's request, in 1940 and 1947 (both in Leyda
> >> (ed.)
> >> "The Psychology of Composition")." (Christie & Taylor, 1993, p. 225 -
> >> Endnote 87); I ask for an used edition at amazon, seems to be fine.
> >> "Psychology of Composition" sounds like an interesting title and subject
> >> to
> >> me, composing evoques spinozian concept of "joy".
> >>
> >> 2) About Eisenshtein and Stanislavsky similarity: there is a very
> >> interesting note by Nikolai Veresov commenting Vygotsky's "genetic law of
> >> cultural development" explaining something about what they means by
> >> "Category":
> >>
> >> "Category is the philosophical concept. How can one imagine that the
> >> function exists as a category? Sounds strange, but according to
> >> STANISLAVSKY
> >> (famous theatre director Vygotsky used to know) AND Sergey EISENSHTEIN
> >> (filmmaker and a friend of Vygotsky) "category" in the drama means
> >> "collision", "event", dramatic unit, and the unit of analysis of drama:
> >> it
> >> might be a dialogue (mostly) or emotional explosion and so on. Vygotsky
> >> is
> >> speaking about development as a process of events, collisions and their
> >> reflections in both planes." (N. VERESOV) (Caps mine)
> >>
> >> Available at http://webpages.charter.net/schmolze1/vygotsky/vygotsky.html
> >> I don´t know the actual source yet - If there is a book or paper by
> >> Verosov
> >> about these matters. I will check.
> >>
> >> 3) About Eisenshtein and Stanislavsky differences: Eisenshtein seemed to
> >> be
> >> closer to Meyerhold than to Stanislavsky, the pome of Eris was maybe
> >> differences of emphasis in verbal or non-verbal components of the actor's
> >> play... but this stands only like um more question, not a secure
> >> information. Seems that there was, at that time, some kind of fight
> >> against
> >> "verbalization" in theatre, in which Meyerhold was activily envolved, but
> >> the actual role of Eisenshtein in that dispute is nothing clear to me.
> >> Eisenstein movies seems to operate with some kind of "pictograms", but
> >> nothing to affirm about absolutily dispense "words", even like "inner
> >> speach" - must be something about this in his own writings, quoting
> >> Vygotsky, I guess that I remember something like this in a work of a
> >> filmmaker friend of mine, some talks with her. But it was a long time
> >> ago,
> >> too. I remain in my thinking by complex, you know.
> >>
> >> What do you think about these links? There are something useful?
> >>
> >> Thank you.
> >> Achilles.
> >>
> >>
> >>> From: achilles_delari@hotmail.com
> >>> To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> Subject: RE: [xmca] Vygotsky, Luria and Eisenshtein (a question)
> >>> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:02:11 +0000
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Oh, it's great, Mike...
> >>>
> >>> Borges wrote a tale named "Funes..." recreating something of
> >>> Shereshevsky... you know. So
> >>> seems that there is very artistic features in real human psychic
> >>> experience. About "generalized
> >>> image" I will see... Is this concept at "Iazik i soznanie"? We have a
> >>> Portuguese version. I have
> >>> read many years ago. I don't remember if I knew this concept , even in
> >>> another book. It
> >>> occurs to me, right now, to search immediately something about what
> >>> system
> >>> of acting was
> >>> used by Eisenstein's actors, if we can find any relation with
> >>> Stanislavsky's system of creative
> >>> actor's work... studied by Vygotsky discussed in the text from 1932
> >>> (publish in Collected Woks,
> >>> vol. 6 - prologue by Dot Robbins), and so important in 1934 (thought and
> >>> word) with the
> >>> notion of "subtext"... If you tell us about psychological studies about
> >>> audience, and the feelings
> >>> and understanding of audience, the way that film is constructed and
> >>> actor
> >>> plays their roles
> >>> must be interesting to study too. After all, all we must to act... (as
> >>> "akt", and as "postuk").
> >>> I had think about the other way of mutual influences in dialog
> >>> psychology-movie too: what we
> >>> can learn from movie semiotics? And/or what about Eisenstein can teach
> >>> something to historical-
> >>> cultural approach? For instance, the notion of "non-indifferent
> >>> nature"...
> >>> I'm thinking by complex,
> >>> like ever I do. But now, it's the only way I can think. And these are
> >>> all
> >>> links that I can put in the
> >>> chain until now. And we even need a thesis and the young guy/girl with
> >>> it
> >>> in mind - I hope this
> >>> person can will arise soon in this context...
> >>>
> >>> I will see something about Eisenshtein and Stanislavsky, right now.
> >>> What do you think? It can be useful?
> >>>
> >>> Thank very much, for all your contributions since before, since many
> >>> years
> >>> ago.
> >>>
> >>> Achilles.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> > Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:10:46 -0700
> >>> > From: lchcmike@gmail.com
> >>> > To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> > Subject: Re: [xmca] Vygotsky, Luria and Eisenshtein (a question)
> >>> >
> >>> > Excellent question. Lets see what we can find out.
> >>> > There are references in Eisenshtein's published work about his
> >>> > activities
> >>> > with
> >>> > Shereshevsky, the mnemonist. And there is, I believe, a close relation
> >>> > between the idea of "generalized image" in Luria and Eisenshtein's
> >>> > notion of
> >>> > montage.
> >>> >
> >>> > All we need is a bright young person with a thesis in mind and a ghost
> >>> > of
> >>> > chance
> >>> > of getting it done in this context.
> >>> > mike
> >>> >
> >>> > On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 3:35 PM, Achilles Delari Junior <
> >>> > achilles_delari@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> > >
> >>> > > Greetings for all.
> >>> > >
> >>> > > One more extemporaneous question.
> >>> > >
> >>> > > If I'm not misremembering, in "Making mind", Mike Cole exposes some
> >>> > > very
> >>> > > interesting data about Luria and Vygotsky's works with the audience
> >>> > > of
> >>> > > Eisenshtein's movies, didn't he expose? Puzirey, I remember well,
> >>> > > has
> >>> > > said
> >>> > > something about Eisenshtein's reading of "Psychology of Art", in the
> >>> > > files
> >>> > > of Eisenshtein's personal library was founded an exemplar of the
> >>> > > book,
> >>> > > in
> >>> > > which at several places are underlined the words "contend and
> >>> > > form"...
> >>> > > a
> >>> > > basis for his own work has filmmaker. But, what more we can know
> >>> > > about
> >>> > > those
> >>> > > works with audience? Everything was loosed with War? Is there no
> >>> > > follower or
> >>> > > co-worker that have dedicate even a single book or paper about these
> >>> > > researchs? I Have thinking about these questions since 1991-1994
> >>> > > when
> >>> > > I had
> >>> > > read the fragments that I quote here, and only now I can ask for
> >>> > > you.
> >>> > > It's
> >>> > > not my main subject now, but I'm concerning with it in a personal
> >>> > > way,
> >>> > > and
> >>> > > why not to ask for? Somebody can give me some help?
> >>> > >
> >>> > > Thank you very much for your attention and help.
> >>> > > Achilles.
> >>> > >
> >>> > > _________________________________________________________________
> >>> > > Conheça o Windows Live Spaces, a rede de relacionamentos do
> >>> > > Messenger!
> >>> > >
> >>> > > http://www.amigosdomessenger.com.br/_______________________________________________
> >>> > > xmca mailing list
> >>> > > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> > > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>> > >
> >>> > _______________________________________________
> >>> > xmca mailing list
> >>> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>>
> >>> _________________________________________________________________
> >>> Confira vídeos com notícias do NY Times, gols direto do Lance,
> >>> videocassetadas e muito mais no MSN Video!
> >>> http://video.msn.com/?mkt=pt-br_______________________________________________
> >>> xmca mailing list
> >>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>
> >> _________________________________________________________________
> >> Cansado de espaço para só 50 fotos? Conheça o Spaces, o site de
> >> relacionamentos com até 6,000 fotos!
> >> http://www.amigosdomessenger.com.br_______________________________________________
> >> xmca mailing list
> >> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>
> >
> _______________________________________________
> xmca mailing list
> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca

_________________________________________________________________
Conheça o Windows Live Spaces, a rede de relacionamentos do Messenger!
http://www.amigosdomessenger.com.br/_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
Received on Fri Oct 31 20:39:50 2008

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Fri Sep 18 2009 - 07:30:00 PDT