Article

Name: Discursive interaction as the basis of anarchist symbols (in the example of the symbol «circle-A»)

Authors: M. Yu. Martynov

Moscow State Pedagogical University

Abstract: This article analyzes the characteristics of discursive interactions underlying the genesis of anarchist symbols, arguing that the origin of the symbol “circle-A” is related to the process of active interaction between the avantgarde and anarchist discourse, neither of which functions as a dominant. The author identifies several important contexts of interaction, including the symbolism of the triangle (A) and circle (O) that make up the anarchist symbol “circle- A”. Following E. Kozlov’s viewpoint that a triangle-wedge crashing into a circle symbolically expresses the idea of a revolutionary in the avant-garde, the author shows that “circle-A” is also one of the central images of avant-garde art in the 20th century. The triangle and the circle became widespread after they were pictured artist El Lissitzky’s poster (“Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge”, 1920). The author analyzes the pan-anarchist concept of a universal language called AO, which was developed by the Gordin brothers in the early 1920s (“Grammar of the Language of the Mankind. Translated from AO”, 1920) and shows that the image of the language AO was formed under the influence of the avant-garde poetry of Velimir Khlebnikov. At the same time, the name of the language is graphically reminiscent of the anarchist symbol “circle-A” – AO looks like A outside the circle. The author also addresses the analysis of the functioning of the letter A in lettrism, which is closely associated with the avantgarde and anarchism. In addition, the author examines the creativity of Isidore Isou in order to relate the idea of incompleteness in lettrism signs to the variability of the anarchist symbol “circle-A”. The author rejects the widespread understanding of the symbol “circle-A” as a monogram composed of the initial letters of the word “anarchy” and “order” (“Anarchy is the mother of Order”) – monogram principle is not true for all languages – and, instead, hypothesizes that “circle-A” is primarily related to the concept of “chaos”. First, the word “chaos” is held to be a necessary anarchist neighbor of the letters A and O in all major European languages (CHAOS, ХАОС, CAOS, KAOS, etc.). Second, the triangle-wedge (A) crashing into a circle (O) and splitting it expresses the idea of the gap between the old world and the new; this corresponds to the etymology of the Greek word “chaos”, which is associated with the words “chasm, gape, etc.”

Keywords: anarchism, discourse, avant-garde, symbol, circle-A

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