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Overview
Fêted for their idiosyncratic and imaginative works, the surrealists marked a pivotal moment in the history of modern art in Britain. Many banded together to form the British Surrealist Group, while others carved their own, independent paths.
Here, bestselling author and surrealist artist Desmond Morris - one of the last surviving members of this important art movement - draws on his personal memories and experiences to present the intriguing life stories and complex love lives of this wild and curious set of artists. From the unpredictability of Francis Bacon to the rebelliousness of Leonora Carrington, from the beguiling Eileen Agar to the ‘brilliant’ Ceri Richards, Morris brings his subjects’ foibles and frailties to the fore.
His vivid account is laced with his inimitable wit, and profusely illustrated by images of the artists and their artworks. Featuring thirty-four surrealists - some famous, some forgotten - Morris’s intimate book takes us back in time to a generation that allowed its creative unconscious to drive their passions in both art and life.
Reviews
'Fizzingly written and sumptuously illustrated … What makes this biographical dictionary of British painters and sculptors so readable is that Morris is writing about people he once knew very well indeed … this beautifully illustrated book – each artist’s bio is accompanied by two or three paintings – is a reminder of the extraordinary work of such Britons as Carrington and Agar, whose reputations as surrealists of the first order, able to stand comparison with Duchamp, de Chirico and the rest, have been soaring in recent years'
Sunday Times
'Delightfully gossipy … a hoot'
Daily Telegraph
'Effervescent ... Morris’s irreverent tone is balanced by serious and insightful details, making each profile feel at once indulgent and informative. Bringing his own knowledge to bear on his fascinating subjects, Morris offers a sweeping survey that’s surprisingly intimate'
Publishers Weekly
Product Information
Book Details
Format: Hardback
Size: 24.0 x 16.5 cm
Extent: 248 pp
Illustrations: 107
Publication date: 17 March 2022
ISBN: 9780500024881
Contents List
MARION ADNAMS
EILEEN AGAR
JOHN ARMSTRONG
FRANCIS BACON
JOHN BANTING
JOHN SELBY BIGGE
EMMY BRIDGWATER
EDWARD BURRA
LEONORA CARRINGTON
CECIL COLLINS
ITHELL COLQUHOUN
MERLYN EVANS
SAM HAILE
S. W. HAYTER
TRISTRAM HILLIER
HUMPHREY JENNINGS
CONROY MADDOX
F. E. MCWILLIAM
REUBEN MEDNIKOFF
OSCAR MELLOR
JOHN MELVILLE
HENRY MOORE
PAUL NASH
GORDON ONSLOW FORD
GRACE PAILTHORPE
ROLAND PENROSE
PETER ROSE PULHAM
CERI RICHARDS
EDITH RIMMINGTON
GRAHAM SUTHERLAND
JULIAN TREVELYAN
JOHN TUNNARD
EDWARD WADSWORTH
SCOTTIE WILSON
EILEEN AGAR
JOHN ARMSTRONG
FRANCIS BACON
JOHN BANTING
JOHN SELBY BIGGE
EMMY BRIDGWATER
EDWARD BURRA
LEONORA CARRINGTON
CECIL COLLINS
ITHELL COLQUHOUN
MERLYN EVANS
SAM HAILE
S. W. HAYTER
TRISTRAM HILLIER
HUMPHREY JENNINGS
CONROY MADDOX
F. E. MCWILLIAM
REUBEN MEDNIKOFF
OSCAR MELLOR
JOHN MELVILLE
HENRY MOORE
PAUL NASH
GORDON ONSLOW FORD
GRACE PAILTHORPE
ROLAND PENROSE
PETER ROSE PULHAM
CERI RICHARDS
EDITH RIMMINGTON
GRAHAM SUTHERLAND
JULIAN TREVELYAN
JOHN TUNNARD
EDWARD WADSWORTH
SCOTTIE WILSON
About the Author
Desmond Morris is one of the last surviving Surrealists. His first solo exhibition was held in 1948 and in 1950 he shared his first London show with Joan Miró. He has since completed over 2,500 Surrealist paintings, and eight books have been published about his work. He has also written many books, one of which – The Naked Ape – ranks among the top 100 bestsellers of all time, with over 12 million copies sold.
