Club Jacobin

afronaut:

A Spanish art historian has uncovered what was alleged to be the first use of modern art as a deliberate form of torture, with the discovery that mind-bending prison cells were built by anarchist artists 65 years ago during the country’s bloody civil war.

If this story weren’t so creepy it would be funny: another reminder that every time anarchists have ever been a significant social force they quickly ended up recreating all of the essential functions of the state, including the most rawly coercive ones like armies and prisons. I guess it’s not statism if you wave a black flag.

Let’s also take a disgusted chuckle at the suggestion in this article that Salvador Dali, that willing bootlicker of Spanish fascism, would have been offended by being linked to repression. The only thing he would find upsetting about these prisons is that he didn’t get a royalty check.

urbaneguerrilla:

Children being evacuated during the Spanish Civil War give the leftist clenched fist salute.

whereangelsfear:

Marina Ginestá, Miliciana and member of the Communist Youth, taken in July 1936 at the penthouse of the Hotel Colón in Barcelona. Marina now in her 90s is apparently still alive and lives Paris

(via Mona)

Stunning photo, taken 76 years ago today. A followup article was published here a few years ago wherein Marina is interviewed at the tender age of 89.

“Es una buena foto, refleja el sentimiento que teníamos en aquel momento. Había llegado el socialismo, los clientes del hotel se habían marchado. Había euforia. Nos aposentamos en el Colón, comíamos bien, como si la vida burguesa nos perteneciera y hubiéramos cambiado de categoría rápidamente.”

“It’s a good photo, it reflects the feeling of that moment. Socialism had arrived — the guests from the hotel had all left. It was euphoria. We were sleeping in the Colón Hotel, we ate well, as if we really belonged in the bourgeoisie and our station had changed overnight.”

urbaneguerrilla:

Anarchist recruiting poster for the anti-fascist militias of the Spanish civil war

Is this anarchist? It looks like a United Front kind of deal to me, just going by the flags, but maybe I’m missing some other signs. In any case, this is pretty great, and (apart from the caption) leaves Rosie the Riveter in the shade.

(via thewanderingbadger)