Rebels: Arthur Cravan

Arthur Cravan (1887–1918?): Swiss-born writer, poet, boxer, and provocateur who turned his life into a deliberate act of artistic disruption. Born Fabian Avenarius Lloyd, he adopted a new name and drifted across Europe and the Americas, publishing the short-lived magazine Maintenant! in which he attacked the art world and became the original troll. He staged chaotic lectures, anticipating performance art decades before it had a name. Cravan boxed professionally, most famously fighting heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in 1916. He married modernist poet Mina Loy before sailing from Mexico in 1918 and disappearing at sea. Cravan stands as a radical figure of self-invention, who treated identity as the ultimate art project. FOR MORE: The Original Troll-Paris Review Mina Loy bio THE CREATORS COLLECTIVE Want to go beyond listening about creators and actually live like one? Consider joining the next Creators Collective class, on Johnny Cash and Sacred Rebellion. You can find more details about the collective and what it offers HERE