sotos

Started by FreakAnimalFinland, March 04, 2010, 08:29:07 PM

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FreakAnimalFinland

I guess the Sotos topic is pretty much mandatory, isn't it?
Well, not much to add to whatever I've said elsewhere, but was slightly annoyed to miss hardcover version of Sotos collected works vol. 4.
First of all, it's actually first which isn't really "collected works" like the past in series, but this one completely new unpublished. What it has is some writing of his, but most of all just clippings from newspapers. It's massive works, more than 10 years of clipping archives pasted into pages of book. There isn't really anything artistic how it is done. Simply short newspaper reports of various cases, some famous, some less known. Paperback is still available at creationbooks...
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MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
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ConcreteMascara

Don't know if this has been mentioned/published before but there is a 2006 interview of Peter Sotos by Martin Bladh on Martin's blog. Available at http://martinbladh-vf.blogspot.com/
[death|trigger|impulse]

http://soundcloud.com/user-658220512

Andrew McIntosh

The issue here of the artist interviewing another artist is that it's more of a conversation than an interview. That in itself isn't a bad thing, but I think there are limits to it; Sotos kept talking about things he was doing, rather then centring the interview on Bladh. Still, the format seems to work with this interview and it's an interesting exchange for what it is.

As far as fans of Sotos's work goes, I'm interested in knowing what people find appealing, enjoyable, etc. What do people get out of it? I'm curious.

Shikata ga nai.

FreakAnimalFinland

my favorite part from interview, as silly as it may sound is Sotos saying: A friend of mine was recently selling some used books on porn theory to a bookstore and the guy behind the counter didn't want them. He said they'd buy porn but not porn theory because it was too much like buying a book on beer. The guy's an idiot, obviously, but what does make sense to me is that very few artists actually make something that is better, or more actual, than the theory.

I can never see myself to use Sotos work as "trad." pornography, that would create some sort of arousal for myself. And don't think it would be even intended to be so? If I'm to pick up some material of sexual nature and pornographic, I think Sotos material is simply way too "intelligent" and artistic to affect on such level.
When I read pornographic book, I might even skip parts. The talent of persons writing seems pretty irrelevant, when compared to the fragments of texts, where certain situation or act is described. One could say, that it's incomplete experience to read a book, and skip all the storytelling and building the heat and tension. Building some sort of background for otherwise so dull and routine sexual acts. But I disagree. When pornography is at its best, I tend to think that it includes certain amount of mandatory storyline or set up, but in end it works in lowest urges and primitive impulses that are beyond some artistic or intelligent and theoretical "nonsense". There is still the characteristics what makes something good or bad, but is it art (product of human creativity) or something else...
I have thought about the idea, where book would consist nothing but the low quality porno pulp descriptions of certain favorite sex acts. No real story, no real context. No artistic merit in traditional sense, no obvious philosophical intent. Nothing. But the short paragraphs after another where these simple words deliver the stuff one wanted to read. Just the low arts and junk - pornography.

But yes, I do read also other things than pornography. Which includes Sotos. Why him? I'd say that because subject matter he deals with, interests me to certain degree and the nuggests of information you gather from text is interesting. But do I rate his works unusually high compared to other writers? Probably not. Most of stuff he writes, doesn't make much sense to me either. There is both, language barrier (due such language as he uses) and difference of perspective how things are seen. And I think I do prefer some of earlier books more than some of the later, where you might see some differences?

I think I have always certain prejudice towards something that goes beyong... simply doing. Lets say, when someone is recognized as "author", "writer", "artists", how stupid it may be, it has always certain negative tone in my mind -unless it actually is somehow so obvious that it seems worth of that. This is what sets apart low arts and pornography, noise, punk, metal, whatever. When it's just something that is done. Things that "just happened" and "got done". This doesn't take away possibility to value what is total garbage and what is good. But you can still say that those few riffs you managed to pull out from your guitar, hardly makes you "composer". Or even "guitarist".
I have written many stories that are published in magazines during my life. It hardly makes me "author". I have photographer and had publications, exhibitions,.. I have painted paintings. I have drawn & published dozen of comic books and exhibited stuff even in museums. I have composed and written countless albums. I have done videos... pff and whatever. And list could go on and on. But I find it hard to call it by any fancier name than it is. I think in finnish you could say "tekijä" (guy who does things) is what it is. It's simply creation of "low arts", which doesn't make me (or anyone) that special. Not "artists", not "musician", not "author". Words me be thrown into discussion once in a while, just to explain something vaguely, even if it hardly qualifies as such.
Like, what makes person collector? What is a "collection". Having 10 paintings? 10 dvd's? What is "hobby"? I recall TV show where some attention hungry cunt told her hobby is benji jumping. And turns out she did it once on holiday.  Owning a camera and taking few snapshots doesn't make one "photographer" in my opinion. Nor artist. End result may be interesting and worth seeing, though.
The pornography is, or was, one of the greatest manifestations of this. You had shabbily created anonymous creation, which appealed to someone, including most importantly yourself. And that's about that. Until it leads into research, study, observation and appreciation, and perhaps the communication over the subject matter. And most of all the release becomes more than it actually was.  While a lot of "artists", "painters" or "musicians" or whatever, in my opinion, deliver less than it actually pretends to be.
In this light, Sotos, as underground writer who puts out these ltd 50 copies digiprinted hardcover books. Yeah, he is great what he does. But how high in the world of literature, art and philosophy you'd put it?  Same with guys like Trevor Brown or such. Of course he is good what he does, but how high you can rate it on standards of painting overall? It is low arts and junk that appeals to prurient interests. Which in my opinion, is enough. It doesn't have to pretend to be more or justify itself that much further.

Don't know if it makes any sense, and perhaps I don't have the time or interest to put it in form of nice manifesto of nature of "art" how I see it.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
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ConcreteMascara

p.s. not to divert attention from target but Bladh's blog has now been removed, I'm not sure why. It was working as of last night. Hopefully it's just been moved.
[death|trigger|impulse]

http://soundcloud.com/user-658220512

FreakAnimalFinland

Seems to work just fine at least here. I guess web is a thing where errors happens.
Just to mention while on topics of web errors, I do take back-up-copies of SI board on weekly basis. If it would be to collapse for reason or another, most of messages are always storaged and no big harm.. Version should be latest bugfree edition, so I don't see much reasons for problems.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
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kettu

Quote from: bitewerksMTB on March 10, 2010, 09:02:40 PM
Jeez. I can see why it took Martin 4 years to transcribe all of that!

Seems like they like talking about themselves ALOT...




im a sotos fanboyish man but that penpal thing was a bit artsy. martin is nice too exept FUCKING monotonic with the microphone.


Unheard

my only real problem with the last batch of Sotos's books (since the now dead Void Books releases) is the cost; the worst thing was purchasing the first version of Selfish Little (for a huge amount of bucks) and then finding out a cheaper one was coming out - then some of the latest books are a bit pretentious and boring (Predicate, Lordotics). Obviously i still think high of his ouvre

RyanWreck

#8
Quote from: bitewerksMTB on May 02, 2010, 07:13:08 PM

PARASITE was a zine available by subscription only for $40. It ran around 20 or so issues. No imagery. Some of his best work. Someone who knew him told me Sotos did alot of speed when he was publishing Parasite; no idea if that's true but that is what the internet is for: spreading gossip.

www.bitewerks.blogspot.com

Is each issue of Parasite about 4 pages long? Someone sent me some "2nd generation" copies in the mail. There were 15 separate 4-5 page pieces (except for one titled "Whore 1", "Whore 2" and "KP" which is 8 pages) each with their own titles such as "Dodd", "Boy", "Dog 1" & "Dog 2" and a handful of others. Also, this same guy sent me a copy of the original "When you Meet a Stranger" article written by Dodd for some newspaper. Was this part of Parasite, the actual article? I've asked other Sotos collectors and they all told me no, that there was never a the full Dodd "When You Meet a Stranger" article in Parasite, just mentions about it but not that actual piece as written by Dodd.

FreakAnimalFinland

I got all original Parasite and Pure, including that xerox pile of unpublished pure issue. But hardly remember now how they were.  I remember from Parasite quite amusing record reviews, which are kind of bitter or supposedly critical towards bands/artists, yet when it's something like describing Emperor 1st LP as "sounds like Motörhead and Venom", you suddenly start to wonder what the hell is being listened?
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

kittymagic

Quote from: RyanWreck on May 05, 2010, 10:14:48 PM
Quote from: bitewerksMTB on May 02, 2010, 07:13:08 PM

PARASITE was a zine available by subscription only for $40. It ran around 20 or so issues. No imagery. Some of his best work. Someone who knew him told me Sotos did alot of speed when he was publishing Parasite; no idea if that's true but that is what the internet is for: spreading gossip.

www.bitewerks.blogspot.com

Is each issue of Parasite about 4 pages long? Someone sent me some "2nd generation" copies in the mail. There were 15 separate 4-5 page pieces (except for one titled "Whore 1", "Whore 2" and "KP" which is 8 pages) each with their own titles such as "Dodd", "Boy", "Dog 1" & "Dog 2" and a handful of others. Also, this same guy sent me a copy of the original "When you Meet a Stranger" article written by Dodd for some newspaper. Was this part of Parasite, the actual article? I've asked other Sotos collectors and they all told me no, that there was never a the full Dodd "When You Meet a Stranger" article in Parasite, just mentions about it but not that actual piece as written by Dodd.


if anyone makes bootleggs of his zines then i'd seriously be interested in buying a copy.

RyanWreck

#11
Here is one of the many copies which was sent, this is titled "Boy" scanned to .PDF (I won't upload anymore. This is just for the sake of advertising and giving a quick insight into what I am talking about):
http://www.mediafire.com/?xlxyfioizmk

Does anyone know if the "PURE Video Compilation" mentioned in "Forced Mental" and at the end of "Pure #2" was ever released?

Steve

I was given "Index" as a present when it was first published and it fair near knocked me sideways, an excellent and unputdownavle read. I found a copy of "Total Abuse" in Germany shortly afterwards, again a prized possession, but I have since to read anyhthing as immediate or stunning as these two books.
Back in 2005 there were plans for my project (Dieter Muh) to perform with Peter in London. The idea came from Salon / Equinox Festival organiser Simon Kane. I chatted to Peter on the 'phone - I remember a bizarre conversation about Jethro Tull + Hawkwind....Peter mailed me a cassette of himself reading in his room + some type (I think extracts from "Selfish Little"). Unfortunately nothing became of the project. Peter did a reading at The Horse Hospital without us. Our paths crossed in Paris 2005, but we missed each other by hours....
I must dig out the cassette and try and work something around it!!   

RyanWreck

#13
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on March 05, 2010, 12:33:23 PM


I can never see myself to use Sotos work as "trad." pornography, that would create some sort of arousal for myself. And don't think it would be even intended to be so? If I'm to pick up some material of sexual nature and pornographic, I think Sotos material is simply way too "intelligent" and artistic to affect on such level.

I agree. Sotos said the same thing, albeit in a different way, about his own material when asked about the influences of De Sade:

"120 Days is a hard text to clean up. Written as it was in jail. I hope the same idea -that I would write this material for an audience of myself alone- is pertinent later on. Sade's tastes are what matters most to me. I'm not trying to be anti-intellectual. It's just that I see the most comparisons in the way the material could satisfy more than just a simple cum."

Quote from: Steve on May 07, 2010, 08:38:36 PM
I was given "Index" as a present when it was first published and it fair near knocked me sideways, an excellent and unputdownavle read.

"Index", as far as I am concerned, is one of his best books (of those which I have read). It's a shame I lost my copy during a move 2 years ago.

Has anyone read "Show Adult"? I've always been interested in the Masha Allen story ("the officers working her case watched her grow up through film and photographs, abused and taken advantage of and they couldn't do anything about it"), I love how horribly the FBI did on editing that photo of the bed they used in her case. Just another Sotos book I would love to own but runs for a ridiculous amount of money, $200 for a used copy to be exact.

SK

For anyone interested, full scans of all 3 issues of PURE are available to download.