After two centuries, Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ remains one of the most enduring works of Romantic and Gothic literature, defining much of modern science-fiction. Now, Del Toro’s excellent new adaptation shows it still has room to be developed and reinterpreted.
Anton Chekhov’s influence on modern literature endures to this day. While best known for his dramatic works, Chekhov’s short stories masterfully portray the lives of ordinary people in 19th-century Russia – where seismic social transformations were taking place.
“The bourgeois like to think that they alone are born with the right to dominate culture. But every human being has the potential to appreciate the arts, and to excel in all of them. This artistic potential of the masses will be unleashed when they move to change society.”
Stalin’s bureaucracy waged a campaign of hate against artists who defied their narrow doctrine of ‘Socialist Realism’. Dmitri Shostakovich’s ‘Anti-formalist Rayok’ lambasts these cultural crimes, and defends the spirit of cultural freedom unleashed by the October Revolution.
Forged in the social upheavals during and after WWI, Dadaism was a radical school of art aimed at the capitalist establishment. Its initial inclination towards nonsensical absurdism developed into an open embrace of communism – reflecting an age of revolution.
Filmmaker David Lynch, who passed away last week, was a singular artist whose works were surreal and unsettling. Although not a ‘political person’, his films and TV shows explored alienation and the absurdity of everyday life under capitalism.
Issue 46 of In Defence of Marxism, the quarterly theoretical journal of the Revolutionary Communist International, is now available for purchase! Get your copy today!
Thanks to the planned economy, the Soviet Union saw remarkable advances in science, technology, and culture. And musical innovation was no exception. The life and inventions of Leon Theremin are a testament to these achievements.
In this podcast, Nelson Wan discusses the artistic and creative emancipation unleashed by the October Revolution, which saw individual geniuses rise to prominence, and gave ordinary people access to the world of art and culture.
Benjamin Zephaniah (1958-2023), an acclaimed British poet and political activist, passed away yesterday. Through his work, he shone a light on the injustices of capitalist society, calling for united struggle against oppression and exploitation.
Socialist Appeal comrade Nicholas Baldion is amongst the contenders for this year’s John Moores Painting Prize – the winner of which will be announced later this week. We spoke to Nicholas about his artistic work and his communist politics.
Today marks 130 years since the birth of Vladimir Mayakovsky, the Russian artist and poet, whose works have been a consistent source of inspiration for communists. We look back at the life, ideas, and contributions of this revolutionary artist.