Humanity Through the Animal Lens
Curation of Surrealist Artworks
Surrealism: A movement in art and literature seeking to express the subconscious mind by any of a number of different techniques, including the irrational juxtaposition of realistic images, the creation of mysterious symbols, and automatism
Source: Oxford English DictionarySurrealist painters used animal figures as a reflection upon the social world and social aspects of the human self, as they remind us of both our innate animality and our existence beyond a state of pure animalism (Amiran). Below is a curation of artworks that express critical aspects of humanity– from love, to creation, and suffering– through nonhuman creatures.
The artwork is complicated by its central feature. The use of real butterfly wings in place of an artificial depiction of the insect brings a sense of death and destruction. "R.D" and several other critics consider this piece a "massacre" of butterflies, chastising the artist for the "cruel" use of the materials.4 Dubuffet continued to use butterflies in a multitude of works, and one can assume that the artist had little intention to create these pieces with representations of death in mind.
Jean Dubuffet
French, 1901-1985
Nez d'Apollo Pap 1953
Jean Dubuffet was an artist that exercised his creativity through several different forms and mediums. He challenged artistic standards of beauty and emphasized the value of a relationship with nature.1 The artist, described as having "found art everywhere," utilized unorthodox mediums from the natural world to create his work.2 The Nez d'Apollo Pap (Nose of Apollo Pap) is a rendition of Dubuffet's abstract portraits that explores the embodiment of nature that underlies the human animal.
Dubuffet has created several pieces with human subjects, each drawn with very odd features or postures using traditional mediums. The use of butterfly wings in this particular piece– one that that I consider to be a portrait– is significant. The work itself is of small size and done on simple paper, which suggests humility within the connection between man and nature. The mirrored quality of the butterfly is utilized to create subtle aspects of symmetry that ultimately form the shape of a human. The light brown butterflies situated bilaterally create the ears, while the wings towards the bottom of the artwork compose the arms and hands. The limbs do not share the same symmetry, which produces a sense of imbalance or wildness about the figure. The subject does not follow a conventional representation of a human, which has led me to conclude that underneath a rational representation of man is a natural presence. What immediately captured my attention were the two wings whose pattern make up the eyes. The butterfly-made figure seems to be peering straight at the viewer and creates a somewhat disturbing, uncanny feeling. Perhaps it is the recognition of our animalistic nature, an idea that the piece means to evoke, that produces this familiar, meaningful feeling. The title is interesting considering the figure appears, at least to me, noseless (or there could also be a two-dimensional nose that I can't see). The use of three-dimensional objects to create a two-dimensional figure suggests that it is man is a product of nature. Butterflies were seen as a "symbol of life" that "[represent] the human soul."3 With this piece, Dubuffet depicts the idea that animality is the essence of man as well as portrays an intrinsic relationship with the natural world. In line with the principles of surrealism, the artist finds beauty in the unorthodox and challenges preconceived cultural notions.
Leonora Carrington
British-Mexican, 1917-2011
Operation Wednesday 1969
Leonora Carrington created several autobiographic works that often explored dark themes. She focused on "otherworldly" qualities of animal and humans, and aimed to connect the "artificial" with the "natural." As an artist of many forms, Carrington brought a feminist perspective to the movement of surrealism.5 Through animals and animal-like figures, Operation Wednesday depicts her experience with mental health issues and her time in an asylum.
Carrington's work often depicted occult practices or ideas, and this particular portrait is no exception. The religious iconography was what specifically caught my eye, and paired with elements of gore, this piece initially discomforted me. The off-putting colors, the haunting red eye, and the foreboding men dressed in white made this piece troublesome. These elements work together to purposefully make the viewer uncomfortable, which makes it it all the more captivating. As I began to analyze the work, I realized that behind the macabre imagery depicts a profound experience that is mediated by animals. Carrington's autobiographical qualities to her pieces and identification with animal figures is apparent through other artworks, such as Self-Portrait (Inn of the Dawn Horse). Like Dubuffet's portrait, she utilizes the symbolism of the butterfly; in addition to symbolizing life, the butterfly signifies "immortality" and "victory over death," and is representative of triumph over suffering. The feeling of an inescapable space is recreated through the use of dark, dreary colors in the background, as well as the lack of depth. The piece itself is of medium size, which forces the viewer to assess the smaller details. What the eye is first drawn to is the figure in the center that is boldly staring at the viewer. The figure is not completely human nor animal, which can imply a conflicting sense of self. This idea is furthered by the depiction of one eye as angry, the other filled with sadness. The figure's heart is connected to what appears to be a flower in the hands of the white-veiled man, signaling strength and beauty despite struggle, as well as the vulnerability of being placed in others' care. The animal in the bottom left brings about the uncanny aspect of surrealism, as it resembles certain domestic animals, yet its contradicting features lead to its refusal to be categorized. The symbolic bird with the fatal wound implies an innocence has been stripped. Through the dream state of surrealism (which in this case would be a nightmare), the artist is able to explore topics that could be considered "taboo" in the rational world as well as document their own response to their experiences.
Frida Kahlo
Mexican, 1907-1954
Wounded Deer 1946
Frida Kahlo documented her pain through her creations, which depict her mindset after countless accidents, illness, and operations. Similar to Leonora Carrington, several of her most famous works are have autobiographical elements. Kahlo is also considered a feminist for both her values and artwork, and has become a modern-day icon. She often used nature and animals as symbols in pieces that detail her physical and emotional ailments. El Venado Herido (The Wounded Deer) utilizes animal iconography and an act of cruelty to express suffering and isolation on behalf of the artist.
Kahlo created a multitude of self portraits, and frequently had animals by her side. In this case, she places her head upon a deer, creating a subject that is both human and animal. The work is of fairly small size, which doesn't overwhelm the viewer and allows them to appreciate the finer details. The use of oil on masonite, a wood material, creates an interesting texture for the piece that furthers its raw emotionality. The use of muted colors facilitates a sense of melancholy within the painting. Kahlo's style, although she did not identify explicitly with surrealism, is characterized by the use of fantasy spaces to explore emotion and connection. The surrounding forest creates a feeling of being trapped, and in terms of the surrealist dream space, makes the piece seem like a nightmare. The dead, broken branches signify oncoming, hopeless death. The branch that lies below the deer is subtly significant, as its abrupt noise may have earned the deer its death. The sky in the painting, tainted with a storm, weeps for the wounded animal. The viewer's eyes follow along the trees to the clearing, only to realize that the deer will never make it. In this particular piece Kahlo identifies with the animal, utilizing its distinctive innocence and fragility to express her own suffering. It is fatally wounded by excessive violence committed by an unseen force, an idea which incites discontent on behalf of the viewer. It is possible that the viewer is meant to be the hunter, which evokes feelings of guilt. The gruesome death is meant to imitate Kahlo's own physical disabilities and affliction, furthered by the fact that it is her head that appears on a wounded animal body. Both Carrington and Kahlo use human/animal hybrids as a means to express how it feels to be poked and prodded as a victim of illness. The distorted figures reveal the underlying psychological trauma of these surrealist works.
René Magritte
Belgian, 1898-1967
La Clairvoyance 1936
René Magritte was a notable Surrealist who challenged the integrity of ordinary objects by making them odd and uncanny. He "[posed] questions about the nature of representation and reality," and his enigmatic works often contain animal subjects such as fish or fowl.7 La Clairvoyance (Clairvoyance) is a self-portrait that utilizes animal transformation to demonstrate an artist's power to create.
Like Kahlo, Magritte shares the space with the animal; although the painting is a self-portrait of sorts, it is the animal who is truly the subject of the piece. The work is of medium size, which isn't meant to draw immense attention. The use of a traditional art medium creates a juxtaposition with the surrealist ideas that are explored within the work. The colors are extremely dull and muted, which can speak to the fact that although surrealist artwork is fantastical, they remain paintings that are created in a rational world. This idea is furthered by the human subject's proper hairstyle and formalwear. The tablecloth is painted with the brightest color, assumably to draw the eye to the egg, which is of extreme significance in the work. The egg symbolizes the state before the birth of the animal, to which the artist brings to life. The animal goes through a kind of metamorphosis from egg to canvas as it gains meaning through its existence as an art object. The work also depicts the creativity of the artist, as they able to complete this transformation through their imagination of the animal. The title "Clairvoyance" supports this idea, as it is defined as "perceiving things or events in the future." Magritte asserts that he has to power to see and paint the future. The idea that this is a painting of a painting highlights the importance of the process behind art. Magritte often utilized the canvas as a symbol for the ways in which one can see and document the world. Although the piece lacks the typically outrageous elements of most surrealist artwork, a significant point about creation is made: it is the artist who chooses how things are represented, whether it be monotonous or whimsical.
Remedios Varo
Spanish, 1908-1963
Jardin d'amour 1951
Remedios Varo's artwork comprised magic and supernatural forces. Like other Surrealists, Varo's pieces existed in a dream state that was interconnected with the waking world. The natural elements played an important work in her paintings, as they spoke to the power of the artist as a force of creation. With recurrent themes of captivity alongside identification with animals and the natural world, Jardin d'amour (Garden of Love) depicts a surrealist version of forbidden love.
Varo's artwork features ethereal spaces in which the artist and the art interact. Her work is particularly fascinating to me, although I'm not quite sure what it is about them that has lead to her being my favorite artist out of the surrealist collection. It may be the abundance of cats or that I find her pieces to be less frightening than the others. The piece is fairly small, demanding that the viewer pay attention to the details, which are best perceived when looking closer. The scene commands attention as it is set against a solid background. This specific quality furthers the fantastical element of the piece, as there is a sense that the world isn't fully developed. It is hard to imagine a space that exists beyond the snippet that is provided. The work contains pleasant colors, and the use of green emphasizes the natural world that is presented. The structure is highlighted by its orange color, and its multiple doorways give rise to the concept of captivity. It is also important to note that the space does not exist beyond the outline of the trees, leaving these two lovers trapped in a moment. The marble-like colors and posture of the female figure cause her to appear like a statue frozen in a moment. She appears to be reaching out to her beloved, the bird/human hybrid, whose posture suggests that he is taken by surprise. The state of being both both human and animal has lead me to the conclusion that there may a curse set on both subjects. The bird/human figure takes on a princely character due to his dress and sword. Birds seem to be a common symbol in surrealism, as seen in both Magritte and Varo's works, and they are seen as the "embodiment of humanity's hopes and dreams."8 There is a distinction made between the two bird entities that exist in the piece. The red birds are pointed away from the structure which suggests their freedom in comparison to the couple. If indulging the common meaning behind bird symbolism and red as the color of love, these birds could reflect the lover's inner desire to flee captivity. The head of the raven suggests that the woman cannot have her lover. The painting reflects unconscious desires that are apart from the waking world in which they cannot be acted upon.
Reflection
I have to admit that surrealism is a bit daunting. It's hard to imagine at times that I'm looking for more than just randomness put on a canvas. I've always been one to appreciate art at its face value. I'd look at it, think about how the colors, the scene, and some of the details made me feel, and then move on, admiring the piece just for what it is. If I read into its meaning further, I would typically connect the work to the personal life of the artist, which is influenced by my view of art as a means of expression of thoughts and emotions. As I curated these works, I researched each artist which provided a fascinating lens to see each work through. I personally loved learning about how each artist saw the world in a unique way, as they often were said to have found beauty in the mundane. I chose to include Kahlo and Magritte due to my previous experiences with their artwork, and I enjoyed evaluating the manner in which they immersed their personas into their self portraits. I selected works that had captivating and unusual elements, such as Dubuffet's butterflies or Carrington's occult iconography, and that could also connect in subtle ways. The curation turned out to be very dark and gloomy, which was somewhat unintentional and seems to be the opposite of what I would have originally expected in collecting surrealist works. The sense of melancholy that permeates these pieces emphasizes the issues of both conformity and the rational world that these artists are challenging. The exception is Jardin d'amour, which I found to be very pleasant and whimsical. Now that I've looked at artworks in depth, I've come to realize the importance of art as a movement that has its own values and ways to express those ideals. I've learned to appreciate the finer details such as lines, texture, and movement and how they support a larger narrative that is beyond the artist. Among the research I did surrounding each surrealist, I read snippets about the close connections and relationships they had with other artists as well as work they've accomplished together. I find it beautiful that groups of people were able to unite in opposition to the status quo. Surrealism is more than just chaos on a page. Its juxtapositions, dreamlike scenes, and spontaneity push us to think beyond our own boundaries and roles within society. After all, change often follows discomfort.