History of Blast

         Robert Scholes and Clifford Wulfman wrote an interesting perspective on how to “tackle” a modernist magazine. These periodicals were written over a hundred years ago during a time of political unrest, national ideologies and movements and certain individuals did not mind publishing how they felt about it. “Blast” was a set of manifestos which supported art and literature. It would blast everything from the Victorian age to France, including other targets; and in the same breath, turn round and “bless” many of the same targets. One point that I thought was important that the authors brought out was knowing the history behind the magazine, well as much history as you can possibly ascertain. Sometimes this information can be hard to find when the data is over a century old, but whatever can be gathered will aid in the understanding of the publication.

            Blast was published only twice: July 1914 and July 1915. Britain declared war on Germany in August, 1914, so the publication, along with it being a very outspoken magazine, did not have a long shelf life. One of its main contributors Henri-Gaudier-Brzeska, who was also one of the original Vorticists was killed at the war trenches. Wyndham Lewis was its main editor along with a group of young writers and artist who shared his mentality and sentiments: Richard Aldington, Malcolm Arbuthnot, Lawrence Atkinson, Jessica Dismorr, Cuthbert Hamilton, Ezra Pound, William Roberts, Helen Saunders and Edward Wadsworth; although few of them took on a serious role. Ezra Pound is not included in the ones who took on a less serious role. He was very much involved. It was visually unconventional in its appearance as opposed to other conservative modernist journals of the time such as: “The Egoist, English Review, New Age and Harold Monro’s Poetry Reiew”. Blast was meant to be a “bold intervention in a rapidly changing art world”. There was high hopes for its circulation and influence, but then a Great War broke out and changed the course for the magazine.

 

Sources:

http://modjourn.org/render.php?id=mjp.2005.00.097&view=mjp_object

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/assaultonculture/blast/blast.html