COLLECTION NAME:
Undergraduate Thesis Collection
Record
Title:
Holding a Mirror to the Muse: Dorothea Tanning’s Self-Portraiture and the Subversion of Surrealism
Creator:
Ponce, Millicent Anne Gates
Subject:
Thesis (B.F.A.) -- Art History
Subject:
Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Art History
Rights:
Copyright is retained by the authors or artists of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Abstract:
“In the beginning of the 20th century, Surrealism was an avant-garde movement that sought to unlock the unconscious mind through fantastical, dream-like imagery. Among its pioneering figures, Dorothea Tanning emerged as a clandestine force, expanding, and challenging the movements boundaries and guidelines. Unlike her male colleagues who were at the forefront of the movement, she infused her works with deeply personal, psychological, and feminist themes, allowing her to explore the complexities of female experience and identity. Her paintings, characterized by enigmatic, often violent, and unsettling narratives, pushed the surrealist aesthetic beyond its confines. Tanning, alongside other key female surrealists like Lenora Carrington and Remedios Varo, played a pivotal role in remodeling Surrealism. In their femininity, these artists brought forth a distinct perspective that questioned traditional gender roles and the patriarchy-centric narratives that male artists perpetuated in the movement. By introducing themes of myth, mysticism, Gothicism, and autobiographical content, these artists broadened the scope of Surrealism, securing its evolution and continued relevance in the 21st century. The contributions of Tanning and her contemporaries not only sought to diversify the artistic expressions of Surrealism, but also laid the groundwork for future feminist artists. This thesis focuses on the use of self-portraiture by Tanning and her female colleagues within the surrealist movement and will examine how their work demonstrates a complex subversion of Surrealism and all its shortcomings regarding its treatment of women. Through their mirrors may we gaze and understand the transformative power of female creativity within the realm of Surrealism.” –Abstract
Publisher:
Savannah, Georgia: Savannah College of Art and Design
Date:
2024-05
Format:
1 online resource: 1 PDF (Thesis, 66 pages, color illustrations)