Surrealism

Description

Surrealism is a survey of the twentieth century’s longest lasting and, arguably, most influential art movement. Championed and held together by André Breton for over forty years, Surrealism was France’s major avant-garde artistic tendency from 1924 onwards, rapidly spreading around the globe to become an international phenomenon. During World War II, Surrealism’s exiled artists and writers had a major impact on American art and were a primary influence for the Abstract Expressionist generation. The official Surrealist movement continued to the end of Breton’s life in 1966, and its legacy is still pervasive today, in contemporary art as well as in numerous quotations from surrealist imagery in cinema, advertising and the media.

Survey Mary Ann Caws – a distinguished scholar, translator and associate of the surrealists – describes in clear, perceptive and lively prose the essential characteristics that define Surrealism, as well as tracing a concise path through the chronology of this prolific and wide-ranging movement. The text also demonstrates how Surrealist art and writing are interdependent.

Works provides an extensive colour plate section with extended captions for every artwork. Following the movement from its beginnings in the 1920s up to the 40s and950s, its six sections trace the themes that predominated at different stages.

Artists include Eileen Agar, Jean Arp, Antonin Artaud, Hans Bellmer, Jacques-André Boiffard, Brassaï, Victor Brauner, André Breton, Jacques Brunius, Luis Bunel, Claude Cahun, Leonora Carrington, Giorgio de Chirico, Joseph Cornell, Salvdor Dalí, Paul Delvaux, Oscar Domínguez, Marcel Duchamp, Nusch Eluard, Max Ernst, Léonor Fini, Esteban Francés, Wilhelm Freddie, Alberto Giacometti, Arshile Gorky, Jindrich Heisler, Geores Hugnet, Valentine Hugo, Marcel Jean, Frida Kahlo, André Kertész, Frederick Kiesler, Greta Knutson-Tzara, Wifredo Lam, Jacqueline Lamba , Len Lye, Dora Maar, F.E. McWilliam, René Magritte, Man Ray, André Masson, Roberto Matta, Henri Michaux, Lee Miller, Joan Miró, Pierre Molinier, Henry Moore, Max Morise, Paul Nougé, Gordon Onslow Ford, Meret Oppenheim, Wolfgang Paalen, Roger Parry, Roland Penrose, Pablo Picasso, Kay Sage, Kurt Seligmann, Jindrich Styrsky, Maurice Tabard, Yves Tanguy, Dorothea Tanning, Toyen, Tristan Tzara, Raoul Ubac, Remedios Varo, Wols

Documents section includes important rediscovered writings alongside the key texts by leading figures. Many of the texts have been specially translated for this volume by Mary Ann Caws and Jonathan Eburne.Mary Ann Caws is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature, English and French at the City University of New York. Her numerous publications include extensive writings on surrealist and modernist art and literature, and translations of major writers and poets, including André Breton, Stéphane Mallarmé and Tristan Tzara. Her books include Robert Motherwell: What Art Holds (1995); The Surrealist Look: An Erotics of Encounter (1997) and Picasso’s Weeping Woman: The Life and Art of Dora Maar (2000). She has edited Joseph Cornell’s Theatre of the Mind: Selected Diaries, Letters and Files (2000); Manifesto: A Century of Isms (2000); and Surrealist Love Poems (2002).
‘Surrealism is a must-have.’ (Sarah Kent, Time Out)‘An extraordinary, fascinating compendium: Mary Ann Caws has unlocked the gate to Surrealism’s beautiful road.’ (Frederick Tuten, novelist and critic)‘The large and well-captioned picture section […] shows us how various the art produced by the movement was, from Dali’s sharp, mesmeric figurations to Miro’s strange constellation of images.’ (Frank Whitford, Sunday Times)

‘[An] attractive mixture of analysis, images and texts offers lively and fresh-feeling introduction.’ (James Hall, The Independent) 

‘A darker side of reality is explored in Surrealism, a resplendently illustrated overview of four decades of subversion.’ (The Times)‘A massive and well illustrated book which combines powerful and less familiar images … with iconic works.’ (Tribune)  

Additional information