In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States at LACMA

In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States
Resnick Pavilion
January 29, 2012–May 6, 2012

North America represented a place free from European traditions for women Surrealists from the United States and Mexico, and European émigrés. While their male counterparts usually cast women as objects for their delectation, female Surrealists delved into their own subconscious and dreams, creating extraordinary visual images. Their art was primarily about identity: portraits, double portraits, self-referential images, and masquerades that demonstrate their trials and pleasures. The exhibition includes works in a variety of media dating from 1931 to 1968, and some later examples that demonstrate Surrealism’s influence on the feminist movement. Iconic figures such as Louise Bourgeois, Leonora Carrington, Frida Kahlo, Lee Miller, Kay Sage, Dorothea Tanning, and Remedios Varo are represented, along with lesser known or newly discovered practitioners.

For more information visit www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/in-wonderland

In Wonderland Related Events

Women, Surrealism, California, and Beyond
Friday, February 24, 2012 | 9:30 am

Martica Sawin, noted authority on surrealist artists during the 1940s, chairs a panel discussion in conjunction with the special exhibition In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States. Co-sponsored by the College Art Association, the program explores the new perspectives that the exhibition highlights, which demonstrate the unique role geography and gender played in this international movement.
LACMA West, 5th Floor | Free, no reservations

Cortney Andrews: In Wonderland Today
Sunday, February 26, 2012 | 2 pm

The work of Brooklyn-based performance artist Cortney Andrews focuses on constructing narratives and identity by exploring themes of gender, sexuality, and self-awareness, issues that were also central to women surrealist artists.
Bing Theater | Free, no reservations

 In Wonderland Inspires Artist App

The exhibition caught the attention of Jody Zellen, who, with the help of LACMA, developed Art Swipe a free app for iPhone and iPad inspired by a popular surrealist parlor game known as the “exquisite corpse.” As the method goes, one person would write or draw on a sheet of paper, fold it, and pass it to the next participant, who would then add their own contribution and so on, resulting in a composition made up of chance and juxtaposition. The app allows users to create a collage in similar fashion, combining images from our collection, from the exhibition, and/or from their own camera roll.

 

Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
www.lacma.org