Surrealism (b. 1920) was a cultural movement that sought to unleash the potential of the unconscious mind and unite it with the conscious creative, often resulting in juxtaposed, bizarre images. The leaders of this movement were Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte. You’ve likely heard of Frida Khalo, as well, but do you know any other female names from the surrealist movement? How about in art history; can you list more female artists than you can count on one hand? Let’s change that.
Leonora Carrington (April 6, 1917 – May 25, 2011) was a British-born Mexican artist, and one of the last survivors of the Surrealist movement. At 19 years old, she was introduced to leading surrealist Max Ernst, who was 27 years her senior and married, at a dinner party. They ran away to Paris, but that was short-lived and Leonora ended up in a psychiatric ward with an eating disorder and paralyzing anxiety. These were very dark times but she was eventually rescued by her nanny in a submarine (and this is not the craziest story from Leonora’s life). In her memoir, Down Below, Carrington recounts the horrific experiences she faced in the ward: “ruthless institutional therapies, sexual assault, hallucinatory drugs, and unsanitary conditions“. Shortly after this, she became an outspoken socio-political activist and was creating her best art. Carrington stated that: “I painted for myself…I never believed anyone would exhibit or buy my work.” She would build up small brushstrokes into stunning imagery that focused in on alchemy, magical realism, symbolism, and her personal experiences of female sexuality.
Remedios Varo (Dec 16, 1908 – Oct 8, 1963) was a Spanish-Mexican surrealist painter who had imagery like no other. She showed promise as an artist early on, and so her father, a hydraulic engineer, would have her copy the technical drawings of his works to improve her understanding and execution of straight lines, radii, and perspective. Unlike most women of her time, Varo was encouraged to be individual and expressive, and her father gifted her with science and adventure books to broaden her education. Her works often featured androgynous figures in tight spaces, which led to a feminist interpretation of her work, although she didn’t necessarily define them as such. The main influences on her work include religion, nature, magic, and her fascination with science. Varo was friends with Leonora Carrington, and they had a tight bond that served as another influence for both of them. When Varo passed away from a heart attack, she was referred to as “the sorceress who left too soon“.
Gertrude Abercrombie (Feb 17, 1909 – July 3, 1977) was known as “the queen of the bohemian artists” due to her presence in the Chicago jazz scene, an aspect that highly influenced her work. She was close friends with musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughan, and was an improvisational pianist herself. After attending an art fair, selling some works, and being told by Gertrude Stein she needed to “draw better”, Abercrombie started to take her art more seriously. She had a loose, painterly style that depicted barren landscapes, sparsely furnished interiors, and women with connections to sorcery, all of which were self-portraits. Gertrude stated, “I am not interested in complicated things nor in the commonplace, I like to paint simple things that are a little strange.” Her health declined in the late 50s due to financial losses, alcoholism, and arthritis, which led to her reclusive lifestyle towards the end. In a retrospective exhibition held just before her death, she said: “I will go out either in a blizzard or in a blaze of glory.” A poetic and humorous statement, just like many of her pieces.
Citations:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/05/the-surreal-life-of-leonora-carrington-joanna-moorhead-review
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonora_Carrington
https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/2275-i-have-no-delusions-i-am-playing-leonora-carrington-s-madness-and-art
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remedios_Varo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Abercrombie
https://magazine.artland.com/lost-and-found-artist-series-gertrude-abercrombie/