Leonora Carrington. And Then We Saw the Daughter of the Minotaur. Featured in The British Surrealists.
1. Surrealists in New York
From smoky cafés to artists’ ateliers, Surrealists in New York takes us deep into the creative spaces of mid-century America. Following the story of the European Surrealists who fled war-torn France for the bright lights and opportunities of the US, the book captures the excitement and energy of this artistic exchange between the Old World and the New.
This group biography delves into the lives of the most important figures of the time. It looks at how the exodus of artists from Europe shifted the centre of the art world from Paris to New York and how this influx of creativity sparked the movement that would grow into Abstract Expressionism. A fantastic portrait of a golden era, this evocative book is a great introduction to the work of Surrealists in New York.
2. The Lives of the Surrealists
Unlike many books on Surrealism, this wonderful study was written by someone who was actually there. Author Desmond Morris played a key part in the Surrealist movement and was close friends with many of its main figures, making him the perfect person to discuss what actually went on.
In his book, The Lives of the Surrealists, Morris paints a vivid picture of the personalities behind the masterpieces. His invaluable insight brings these iconic artists back to life, and reveals their character strengths and flaws, their social lives, their loves and their artistic endeavours. Vividly illustrated throughout, the book gets us closer than ever before to the lives and creations of these legendary artists.
3. 101 Surrealists
Surrealism was both spectacular and international, shaped by the darkest, most irrational workings of the unconscious.
Featuring 101 artists, from the famous – Duchamp, Dali, Magritte and others – to the neglected – Mesens, Rimmington, Sage, Fini, Bellmer, Colquhoun and Gonzalez – 101 Surrealists by Desmond Morris, draws on the author’s personal knowledge of the Surrealists, capturing in concise form their life histories, idiosyncrasies and often-complex love lives. What were their personalities, their predilections, their character strengths and flaws? Did they enjoy a social life or were they loners? Were they bold eccentrics or timid recluses?
4. Women Artists and the Surrealist Movement
Women Artists and the Surrealist Movement is one of the very best books on Surrealism. First published in 1985, it inspired a wholesale revision of the Surrealist story and transformed the fortunes of many of the previously overlooked artists featured within its pages.
The book overlays the stories of the most important women in the movement with the turbulent events of the 1920s, 30s and 40s. It paints colourful portraits of the greats, including Leonora Carrington, Léonor Fini, Frida Kahlo and Dorothea Tanning. The book also examines the lives of lesser-known artists who played an important role in the movement. Enhanced with beautiful illustrations and unpublished writings, this sensational study deserves a place on your bookshelf.
Explore Women Artists and the Surrealist Movement to learn more.
5. Surreal Spaces: The Life and Art of Leonora Carrington
Long underrated, Leonora Carrington is now considered as one of the vanguard, not only in histories of women artists but also Surrealism. An evocative visual chronicle, Surreal Spaces charts Carrington's life as seen through interiors, international locations and vintage photographs, leading the reader on a personal journey through the many spaces she inhabited and which infused and haunted her art and the people she knew.
From Lancashire to London, Cornwall to France and Spain, then to Mexico, New York and finally back to Mexico, each place and interior became etched in her memory – whether her grandmother’s kitchen with its giant stove, Parisian cafés, a rural French hideaway, the sanatorium in Santander or her Mexican sanctuary – only to be echoed, sometimes decades later, in her paintings and writings.
6. Surrealism (Art Essentials)
Surrealism (Art Essentials) is a concise, digestible study of the movement and its key figures, and one of the best introductory books on Surrealism. The book takes us right back to 1924, when French poet André Breton launched the movement that would eventually spread across the world.
We’re then led on a narrative journey through the key events in Surrealism and introduced to the movement’s most influential figures. To help the reader get to grips with the subject, a glossary of specialist terms and a chronology of important events are included in the study. Part of the Art Essentials series, this comprehensive book offers the perfect entry point for those who want to learn about Surrealism and its impact on the world.
Read Surrealism (Art Essentials) for a comprehensive introduction to the movement.
7. Dalí (World of Art)
One of the most important and recognisable artists of the twentieth century, Salvador Dalí played an important role in taking the Surrealist movement mainstream. The colour, form and originality of his reality-warping images leap off the pages of this beautiful book, daring the viewer to dig deeper into the dreamscapes they seem to represent.
Dalí (World of Art), is one of the most accessible and comprehensive works on the artist. Author Dawn Ades uses interviews with Dalí himself, as well as a wide range of other source materials, to craft a full and colourful portrait of the man and his incredible creations. She also attempts to discover just what makes Dalí so enduringly popular – his genius as an artist, or his gift as a self-publicist?
8. Miró (World of Art)
The works of Joan Miró stand out for their spontaneity, wit and colour. Look at one of his pictures, and it’s almost impossible not to smile. The shapes that dance across the page seem to come alive, evoking a sense of joy and intrigue that make the works irresistible.
In Miró (World of Art), we’re given a portrait of the surrealist that’s almost as colourful as the images he created. Written by Roland Penrose, a friend of the artist for almost five decades, the book offers unique insight into Miró’s life, character and art. This most recent edition of the book is fully illustrated in colour, making an already fascinating study even more vibrant.
9. The Duchamp Dictionary
As you’d expect from a book on one of art’s most original minds, The Duchamp Dictionary is laid out in a thoroughly new and engaging manner. Designed to make Duchamp’s work enjoyable for a wider audience, this innovative book contains a series of two hundred brief dictionary descriptions, deliberately written in accessible, jargon-free prose.
Entries range from alchemy and anatomy to Warhol and windows. You’ll also find sections on the Bicycle Wheel, chess and the fourth dimension. Easily digestible and always interesting, these short blocks of text make a fantastic introduction to the artist. As well as dictionary entries, the book contains a number of carefully curated artworks by the master.
10. Man Ray (Photofile)
No list of the best books on Surrealism would be complete without a tome on Man Ray. A Dadaist and pioneer of Surrealism, Man Ray is one of the most famous names of the twentieth century. Though he considered himself a painter above all, Man Ray is best known for his photography. In fact, he was so famous in the field that a key photographic technique, the ‘rayograph’, is named after him.
In Man Ray (Photofile), we explore some of his best experimental works as well as a selection of portraits of the most important figures in modern art. This fantastic collection of photos offers insight not only into the incredible talent and creative process of Man Ray, but into the characters and relationships of the era.
Leaf through Man Ray (Photofile) to find out more about this iconic artist.
Explore all our titles on Surrealism, the World of Art series and art to find your perfect read.
