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.
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.
Die warme weiche Brust, die uns nähren soll, wird zum kalt stechenden Auge, das uns überwacht. Amerika bastelt an seiner Stein gewordenen Freiheit, die immer gigantischer wird und immer absurder. Schon 1934 hatte der tschechische Künstler Jindrich Styrsky ein mulmiges Gefühl beim Anblick der steinernen Frau von New York. Die Menschen, die von der großen Freiheit profitieren sollen, schrumpfen zu ferngesteuerten Homunculi, hängen an den Fäden der zur übermenschlichen Größe erstarrten Idee. Styrsky ist einer der wenigen, handverlesenen Künstler, die in dem prächtigen Bildband zur Ehrenrettung des Surrealismus versammelt sind (Mary Ann Caws: Surrealism. Phaidon Press, New York 2004. 304 Seiten, 75 Euro). Denn wie kurz der Weg hinüber zum Kitsch ist, das kann man nicht nur am Jugendstil, sondern auch am Surrealismus studieren, wo die Gefahr zunächst weniger bedrohlich erschien. Aber selbst einst genialisch illuminierte Künstler wie Salvadore Dalí erlagen am Ende der Bequemlichkeit ikonographischer Plattitüden und diskreditierten damit nicht nur ihr eigenes Werk, sondern legten auch Grund für ein schleichendes Misstrauen gegenüber einer ganzen Stilrichtung. Noch dazu einer, die des Grundvertrauens des Betrachters bedarf, des Glaubens an die nicht enden wollende revolutionäre Kraft einer Epoche, die um 1920 begann und noch immer ein bisschen weiterlebt.
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'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)
'[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)