Surrealism: Desire Unbound Book

Surrealism: Desire Unbound is not only a wonderfully produced catalogue to accompany the Tate Modern's excellent surrealism exhibition but also a compelling addition to surrealist studies in its own right. As lavishly illustrated as you could hope for (no less than 300 colour illustrations) the strength of the book really lies in the quality of the essays that make up the catalogue's text, which come from some of the best art historians around. Professor Dawn Ades, the consultant editor, contributes "Surrealism, male-female" which builds on themes of sexuality, and the notion of the fluidity of the category of gender so important to the surrealists, that she (and others, see particularly Surrealism and Women and The Surrealist Look) previously addressed elsewhere (her book on Marcel Duchamp, a constant reference point for so much modern art, is particularly good); Hal Foster (well known for his argument that the 1990s saw the return to bodies and spaces in art in his thought-provoking The Return of the Real) adds a superb essay on the objectification and fetishisation of women within surrealist photography; David Lomas walks us through the influence of Freud (arguably the first theorist of desire) on surrealism; and Annie Le Brun rounds off the book with a look at the invention of desire by surrealism and its adoption by modernity. Desire, as a category and as an impetus, compelled much of the art and thinking of the surrealists and this excellent volume does much to explore and problematise the issues surrounding sex, gender and identity (the sub-heading of the essential Women in Dada which should certainly be consulted when broaching these issues) that obsessed these important artists and their often iconic art. For a beautifully documented study of previous exhibitions it's well worth checking out Displaying the Marvelous. Surrealism: Desire Unbound is a big, beautiful and bold book that does the surrealists proud. --Mark ThwaiteRead More