Pataphysics, founded by Alfred Jarry in the 1890s, is a concept that has been recognized as the precursor to Dadaism, Surrealism, and the Theater of the Absurd. This book collects critical and creative essays to explore pataphysical experimentation from its origins to the contemporary moment, challenging distinctions between the modern and the postmodern, high and low culture, and the serious and the comic.

Format: Hardback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 12 April 2022
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

In the vibrant 1890s, the visionary French poet and playwright Alfred Jarry unveiled a groundbreaking concept that would leave an indelible mark on the world of art and literature. Known as pataphysics, this whimsical and absurdist "science of imaginary solutions" has been hailed as the precursor to movements like Dadaism, Surrealism, and the Theater of the Absurd. Centuries after Jarry's audacious gesture of "dying," Katie L. Price and Michael R. Taylor argue that it is high time we take the comedic intervention of pataphysics seriously.

Pataphysics Unrolled: An Unauthorized Account of Pataphysical Experimentation is a captivating collection of critical and creative essays that delve into the realm of pataphysical experimentation. Spanning from its late nineteenth-century origins to the present day, this volume transcends geographical and cultural boundaries, offering a rich tapestry of readings on pataphysical syzygy. It explores the far-reaching influence of pataphysics across disciplines, venturing beyond the confines of coteries like the Collège de Pataphysique. Moreover, it poses fundamental questions that challenge the boundaries between modern and postmodern, high and low culture, and the serious and the comic.

This book serves as a testament to the enduring power of pataphysics as a platform and medium for relentless intellectual, poetic, conceptual, and artistic experimentation. With contributions from esteemed scholars and artists, including Charles Bernstein, Marc Décimo, Adam Dickinson, Johanna Drucker, Craig Dworkin, Catherine Hansen, James Hendler, John Heon, Ted Hiebert, Andrew Hugill, Steve McCaffery, Seth McDowell, Jerome McGann, Anne M. Mulhall, Marcus ODair, Jean-Michel Rabaté, Orchid Tierney, and Brandon Walsh, Pataphysics Unrolled offers a comprehensive exploration of this intriguing field.

Weight: 839g
Dimension: 241 x 178 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271089584