Yves Tanguy 

[1900-1955]
"I cannot, nor, consequently, want to try to give a
definition, even a simple one, to what I paint. If I did try, I
would risk very much closing myself in a definition that
would later become like a prison for me." -Tanguy
Yves Tanguy was a French self-taught artist who is
best known for his surrealism and abstract expressionism.
He spent his summers around the Finistère coasts in
Brittany, and some features from those beaches showed up
later in his work. Similar to other artists, his childhood
wasn’t easy. His father and brother both passed away before
he was eighteen years old. His art is hard to explain, but it​ is Mama, Papa is Wounded!
filled with emotion.
When he was a teenager, he met Pierre Matisse, the
son of the famous artist Henri Matisse, and André Breton.
Matisse encouraged Tanguy’s art. Brenton, who Tanguy
called ‘Papa', said that surrealism is “the appearance of Yves
Tanguy, crowned with the big emerald bird of Paradise.” I
believe that that is the best way to describe surrealism, as it
is hard to describe, and comes in many different styles.
Tanguy’s work usually takes place on a beach, and has
odd shapes that were put there for an unknown, yet
significant purpose. The colors are usually moody, painted
Slowly Toward the North
using greys. The paintings turn out looking somewhat
smooth, and it is rare that objects stand out due to color.
During Tanguy’s life, the Wright Brothers made their
first controlled flight, Einstein develops the theory of
relativity, Picasso and Braque begin cubism, and both world
wars were fought. One may find signs of flight, particles,
abstract art, and battle in his paintings.
Tanguy is now known as a surrealist who paints vast
landscapes filled with unknown objects. With all the troubles
in his childhood, he found a way to display his emotions in
the form of art, his gift to us. As there are few ways to
The Furniture of Time
describe his art, he now makes a category of his own.
 Works Cited
"Yves Tanguy Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works." The Art Story. N.p., n.d.
Web. 07 June 2017. <http://www.theartstory.org/artist-tanguy-yves.htm>.