Absurdism... a sign of the times

As random but connected occurrences go, I haven't had a notable one for a while but recently I visited Brockley Open Artist Studios for some much needed creative involvement. I started at the exhibition of Nancy Singh ‘Theatre of Sisyphus’ (@nancee.sin) and began reading her statement about 'the philosophy of absurdism' which, she told me, was the inspiration behind her work.

I found it a little challenging but left to pursue other exhibitions on the art route... I didn't get far. A random downpour, cut short my creative venture so I headed home to comfort to consider the absurdity of the day.

Later, I read in the FT Weekend; a book review entitled 'A Cage Went in Search of a Bird: Ten Kafkaesque Stories' by Ali Smith and others. The article title was 'Contemporary Writers offer Absurdist Takes on the Confines of Modern Life’

Co-incidence? surely not, I felt a pattern emerging so I decide to look deeper into this philosophy and find out more about Kafka.

My initial research took me to YouTube via Wikipedia (gotta start somewhere right?)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LaffA9EyUgo

thanks for the insight @PursuitofWonder

I like this Kafka guy, he was quite the visionary thinker… and also his friend Dostoevsky; with his mantra of ‘the harder you try the worse it gets’

Here are some of the themes in his writings:

• absurdity of bureaucracy

• the unsettling nature of human existence.

• alienation and isolation

• guilt and innocence

• power

According to https://literaturelegends.com/. his books ('The Trial', 'The Castle', 'Metamorphosis') are still as relevant today as when they written; 'phrases like “Kafkaesque” have become part of the cultural lexicon, used to describe situations characterised by absurdity, complexity, and a lack of clear meaning. The novel’s impact on literature, film, philosophy, and psychology is immeasurable'

Turns out another publisher has just published a Kafka book....

Kafka: Selected Stories, translated and edited by Mark Harman, is published by Harvard University Press (£24.95).

What's that saying? ...'three's a trend'