About

953eaaae8792457869acebb9aebcc7c3[1]Interests and obsessions include, but not limited to are: Books and literature, JG Ballard, Lewis Carroll, Philip K Dick, Henry Green, Anna Kavan and many, many others. Art especially symbolism and surrealism. Film noir. every kind of movie. Music old school house, trip hop, Joy Division and Burial. Cats and dogs and horses. Gambling roulette and card games. Tarot, alchemy and magic. Watching sport on TV. Bread and circuses. Above all though cake, all kinds of cake.

152 thoughts on “About”

  1. Thanks so much for the follow! First of all — I love the name of your blog. Second, I love your wide array of amazing interests and topics! Can’t wait to read your posts.

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      1. Very nice. I remember watching Eddie Izzard back when I was in high school; I thought he was hilarious. Looking forward to more of your material.

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    1. Thank you for the support…I like your decalcomania paintings, especially the one with the grumpy old man…I have a thing (obviously) for surrealism so more posts to follow…my post about oscar dominguez may interest you he was the inventor of decalcomania

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      2. Hi, I read your article about Oscar (and the eye story – ewww!) Thats what I adore about your site – its not just showing an artists work, there is serious writing and history there, (which I will browse through). Forgive me for not yet getting to your About page (if you have one) but are you studying art? Make art? Curious minds need to know! 😀

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      3. My about page is not very revealing…its a great photograph though…unfortunately I have no talent to be an artist and I never progressed beyond secondary level education, I just really love art in general (with some serious exceptions) and surrealism in particular. As it as things I picked I have the flaws of an auto-didact, I connect things randomly. I do write stories and have been writing a novel for quite a while now, the blog was to keep my hand in and for some reason it has turned into everything you didn’t need to know about surrealism..it was a big movement so there is alot of potential material especially when you try in influences and what it influenced, the politics and their fascination with the occult

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      4. Ok I’m going to put my bossy voice on just for a second :p Being an artist is simply the making of art. “Talent” is something other people label you with, according to their assumption of what art “should be”. You clearly have a deep appreciation for the arts, and the fact that you are writing consistently, means you are a writer at least. Maybe the art will come later if you choose. That aside (resumes normal voice) I adore the surrealist movement. I love the psychology behind it, the intuitiveness, the automatic things they did trying to connect with the Other Side. You have made the history of it quite interesting – for someone who finds history very dry, and can’t even imagine what studying art history must be like! Also curious to know what kind of art you don’t like….you mentioned some serious exceptions?

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      9. I googled Mina Loy THEN read your post, ha! I do like her art very much! (and your post – I love the way you have interesting facts about the artists too 🙂 What do you mean by my found art collage? I haven’t knowingly done one….unless I called it something else…?

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      12. OK…I can’t even draw matchstick with very clear, but I suppose they are many ways to be an artist…I try to make the posts clear without any deadening and pretentious terminology…I love the engagement of the surrealists, there belief in love, desire and the possibility of transcendence without recourse to dogma and religion…I am not a big fan of the YBA and the whole museum installion thing…how radical are these artists with the backing of major cultural institions? I like the modern but not the contemporary if that makes sense

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      13. Ok, now I’m not as well versed in art terminology as you, but when I think of modern, I think of abstract art? Like maybe a Colourist would do? And contemporary would be like….umm Tracy Emin’s unmade bed. Am I right – because please feel free to correct me! 🙂 And yes, the transcendence without the religious aspect, I agree. Connecting with the unconscious, otherwordly realms, dreams – oooh I love a good dream. I always write them down and see what Jung makes of it, heh!

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      14. Hi,,,yes you are basically right, it’s a very confusion subject because alot of contemporary art is recycled modern art—modern starts with the impressionists in around 1870 and ends with pop art in the 1960’s though you could argue both the start and the end…after that it’s post-modern and contemporary art…abstract art is usually modern but it has a long and honorable history before…both Celtic and Norse have varying degrees of abstration and Jewish and Islamic art before the 20th century was abstract due to religious proscriptions…I love Jung as well

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      15. Thats interesting about Celtic and Norse having abstract art – I’ll have a look for that. Also….what do you think about the phrase Neo-Surrealist? I was reading an article last night and the writer didn’t approve of the label. They believed the Surrealist movement was of its time because it encompassed all the politics and beliefs of then, so calling a piece of art made nowadays “Neo-surrealist” simply because it had surrealist elements, was wrong. The writer believed that contemporary art movements should have their own name to reflect current times. Personally I agree, what do you think?

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      16. Yes I agree…surrealism tried to be more than just a art movement the whole idea was to ‘change life’ and ‘transform the world’. Surrealism has a quite defined date range 1924 with the publication of the first surrealist manifesto to 1966 with the death of andre Breton…although there were and are individual surrealists still around producing works of surrealism…I will have to look into neo-surrealism as I haven’t heard of it before…thanks it’s good to educated about new stuff

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      19. I like her work too – and also find it fascinating that she makes textile sculptures of her figures too. I might try that….hmmm. (P.s, I will leave you in peace now, haha! Its just so nice to chat about art with someone)

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  4. Hi! Thank you so much for the likes and the follow! You don´t know how much this really means to me – I still can´t believe that people actually seem to like what I love to do:) My first thought while reading your blog title was definitely Marie Antoinette! I´m very much looking forward to read more from you! Love your surrealist women articles but am going to check out the others too, of course:) Have a lovely day! Sarah:)

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  5. Per morbidity. One of my best friends had her first date with her husband at a graveyard. Or they met there at least. We’re not talking about young hipsters…they were in college in the late 1970s.

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  11. Pingback: Mind Blown | Daisy in the Willows

    1. Thank you so much for the lovely mention in your great blog. Thank you for taking the time to write such a nice and heart felt link and introduction. Would you like a slice of cake?

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  12. I must say, you certainly seem to be a highly productive blogger, I couldn’t imagine myself producing this much work, and at such good quality. Thank you very much for the follow, it will certainly press my to work more on my own blog now.

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    1. It is a great image from a great movie. I did a post on the movie (without significant spoilers) discussing the background to the filming, the occult influences on Donald Cammell and the positioning it as a male counterpart to Bergmann’s Persona regarding identity. As I am cakeordeath I thought that having a pointed gun being the first thing you see fits in nicely.

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  15. Apologies for somehow clipping your posts in my flawed attempt to reblog them from my iPad…I am (obviously) a new WordPress user. That said, I’ve enjoyed your posts very much and want to encourage my friends and students to check them out.

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  18. I’m curious as to your opinion and interpretation of irrational chance art, like that of Jean Arp and the autonomous processes employed by the Surrealists. What notions would you attach to them and how relevant do you think they are?

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    1. Thank you for the question, a very vexed one to the Surrealists. When it works it is amazing, however it runs the risk of becoming stereotypical. The surrealists started from a position of pure psychic automatism, but were constantly revising there position. I will send you a couple of links that deal with this question on my site. Thanks for the comments, sorry for the delay, rest assured I will always respond as soon as I can.

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    3. Andre Breton-Man Ray 1929Quite by accident (a happy accident, I hope) this site has been mainly concerned with Surrealism. There have been detours …
      The Pope of Surrealism
      avant-garde,surrealist manifesto,andre breton,art,free union,man ray,provocations,surrealism and painting,nadja,aesthetics,surrealism,automatism

      The Pope of Surrealism

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    1. Thank you and likewise I enjoyed your movie reviews, especially on French films. There is a fair amount on the occult also art and a little on movies as well as original stories and poems. I look forward to hearing your comments and hope you enjoy!

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  24. Hi Cake, seems I’m using your site as a source of reference now, there’s so much here. Then there’s a but, just entered a search for the ‘Strugatsky Brothers’ and alas there’s nothing here. Would you be interested in covering them and their view of the world and influence on soviet society etc in your excellent style. I’m beginning to hear their names mentioned in respect to our own modern twisted world. No probs if you don’t want to and thanks in advance if you do. Cheers Rich

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    1. Thanks for the big compliment… don’t think anyone had ever used it as a reference site before… I don’t actually know the strugatsky brothers I will investigate and get back to you… I am honoured by the invite.

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  27. I baked a banana gluten free cake today. It was very yummy. I think you would have liked it.
    Thank you Mr Cakeordeath for the follow of my blog. I really do appreciate it very much and hope you get to eat lots of yummy cakes 🙂

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  28. Hi. I’m just getting started on wordpress and I’d like to follow your site, but I’m having a hard time figuring out how to do that. Is there a follow widget I’m missing or some other way to do so that I’m sorely ignorant of. 🙂 Thanks very much and I look forward to browsing around your site. 🙂

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    1. Thank you Angie, I am only too happy to insist… the follow button is usually on the bottom right hand corner when you visit a site, however if you scroll down it disappears so simply scroll back to the top and hit the follow button and it should say that new posts will appear in the reader. The best way to get follows is to follow and comment on over sites, as well as posting material on your site of course. Hope this helps any problems just drop me a comment.

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  29. Hi! you recently followed my page (thanks!) is your username a reference to a famous Eddie izzard sketch? really like the look of your articles – they’re really interesting!

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    1. It is… it has taken a bit of a life on its own though. Well I like to flatter myself that I am one of the best Surrealists/Erotica/Occult art/book/movie sites with a mixture of essays/original stories and poems out there. Pretty niche so I hope I am anyway. Thanks for the comments they are always welcome.

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  30. Pingback: ► “Hermes & Writing in Ancient Greece”: “Collaboration with Alan Severs”✍️.- | La Audacia de Aquiles

    1. Thank you Clare for this comment and your previous one on the Hermes post by Aquileana which I collaborated on. I am quite familiar with Suffolk as I have relations there and visit at least one a year. Hopefully the diversity isn’t off putting, there is a connecting thread (at least in my brain). Mainly it is art (Surrealism, Symbolism) books (Ballard, Henry Green, De Sade, Kavan) a few movies and then posts on the esoteric (especially if they are related to the arts) then my own short stories and poetry. Hope you enjoy and comments are always appreciated and I look forward to visiting your site again.

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    1. Thank you Marie. I love cake, though I mainly write about art, Surrealism, art with esoteric influences, esotericism, books, my own short stories and poems. I will send you a few links that may be of interest. Thank you for the follow and comment, it is always appreciated. I rarely write about music, though I like David Bowie as well.

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      2. I particularly liked his Berlin phase. My musical tastes are all over the place and I find it hard to contextualise as I don’t really know enough about music, if that makes sense.

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  33. Hello . . . having worked in a bakery in high school, I can pass on cake at any time. Death, well, do I have a choice? I’m an artist as well but sadly lack the imagination of the surrealists. Are there movies other than the film noirs? Nice to meet ya!

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    1. It is either Cake or death. Nice to meet you, I saw you when I was having a beef with Anais…I actually haven’t written about any film boots, I usually write about art, Surrealism, my own short stories and poems. Nice to meet you, I will send you a link to a post about movies.

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    1. Thank you…hopefully not… you have a bit to catch up on. I mainly write about Surrealism (both visual and literary) modernism, some post modernism, Symbolism, erotica, and my own fiction and poetry. Oh and some occult stuff and history as well.

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  36. It’s good to get to know you a bit better Mr. Cake. I am enjoying your writing, art, the subject of literary devices, symbolism, etc. i enjoy unique eroticism ( the good kind not the crap) and thanks to my very messed up and now departed poetic partner in crime, I adore Greek mythology (emphasis on Dionysus) and I am a huge fan of noir. Thank you for your intellect and insight.

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    1. Thank you Miss Heart. The about page is pretty much the first thing I wrote on here. I suppose I have covered a good few of the topics mentioned, in my own meandering way. Though it is quite accurate it is also an attempt to eject an air of mystery. I do like my mystery.

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  38. I must say the name of your site intrigued me, the entry for your about page made me think, “New best friend?” (as I am currently watching a recording of KOOZA), and then I read Mirror Images. Food for thought: A House of Mirrors is no more than a reflection of the world. Also question, have you delved into any of Joseph Campbell’s work?

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    1. Thank you, new best friend, though maybe Mirror Images decided against that. I have read and admire Joseph Campbell’s work as well as other mystical and mythological inclined writer.

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      1. OMG! You were looking at my site, while I was snooping about on yours. Thank you for the follow and likes and comments. So flattered. ❤

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  40. Your About page could as well be mine. I love Lewis Carroll (a lot of symbolism and depth in Alice in Wonderland), Philip K Dick, symbolic and surreal art, film noir and Joy Division, and I read Ballard. Ok, I will draw a line at watching sports on TV. I don’t, if it is not big tennis or football world cup.

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  42. Good morning, Mr Cake

    I found your blog via Google while looking for more information on on ‘The Fantasies of Mr Seabrook’ – for which many thanks, and then I dived into an exploration of your blog in which I have been swimming with joy for most of this morning. Still much to explore here. Thank you.

    Are you still blogging – it seems that your last post was a year ago. I have much to explore here still but it would be joyous to know that there is more to come !!

    I too am renowned for my love of Cake – and ‘Performance’ – and it would be lovely to know this might be the start of an electronic friendship.

    All best wishes

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    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I haven’t being blogging or even writing for a while unfortunately, though I do intend to put pen to paper eventually. Your kind words may help to motivate me soon. Please feel free to explore and comment, I am a bit slow to reply but I do always reply. I look forward to further exchanges in the future. Performance is a great movie, one of my favourites. Speak soon.

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      1. Hello – great to hear from you. Always glad to motivate someone to being creative – but who motivates the motivators ??? Haha. But I seem to be busy lately – since I gave up words and took to charcoal and paper drawing and a bit of painting – but that’s a long story. Anyway, glad to hear you are still around, and there’s still plenty more for me to explore here before you hear the tapping of my irritable foot !! All best wishes..

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