Angels of Anarchy: Women Artists and Surrealism Edited by Patricia Allmer Prestel and Manchester Art Gallery, 2008 Reviewed by Robert Belton ublished on the occasion of an Pastors ste Manchester Art Gallery in late 2008," this catalogue i filled with high quality reproductions of a thorough selection of works by wornen working in 2 Surrealist manner Some of the artists included were connected directly to the Sarwalist movement by one or another relationship with a card-carrying Surrealist mele—like Elisa Breton, Leonora Carrington, Nusch Eluaed, Lee Miller, Kay Sage, and Dorothea Tanning—whereas others reflected Surrealist subject and styles from a ‘eater distance in bath space and time— like Frida Kahlo, Remedios Varo and, from even farther afield, Penny Slinger ned Francesea Woodman. The esis an impressive survey of a wide range of subject positions regarding Surrealism and women that isnot constrained tothe historical moment of the movernent as defined by such imperious Figures as André Breton. ‘The dookincludes a numter of useful cesays by seven contributors, but what will draw readers to pull it off the shel again and again is its 1 full-page, high ‘ality illustations of the works in the evcibition, along, with 51 smaller repro- ductions accompanying important points in the essays. Many of these Works are sorely seen but some of them richly deserve to be much better known 1m addition to those of the aforemen tioned artist, there are works by Marion ‘Adams, Eileen Agar—from one of whose more well knovn works (Angel of Ararcin, 1936-40; Fig. 1) the tile is taken—Lola Alvarez Bravo, Rachel Baes Emmy Bridgewater, Claude Cahun, Whell Colquhoun. Josette Exandies Fig, 1 Eilean Aga, Angel of Anarchy (1936 40), testes over plaster apd mixed media, 20 2" 12 12" 13 1/8", Tate Gallery, Londen. Procorted by Friar ofthe Toe Gallon.Looe Fin Jane Grave, Ysletine Hugo, Dora Mate Ema Medhovd, eet Oppenicim. Grace Paithope Rinmigion Eva Senko sd “eye The awa a ee coin documentary photographs and ce ton of euite ore rowing et Ing collaborations Between ale and fGhacars "Many ofthe works are standard nti vein paige ote srk ‘nor mousy prac by Salvador Dall and René Magriv, but thee are ko collages drawing, abject, and photographs oth manipulated snd eight) A fe ofthe works scm heavily derivative of ene or another predecersor—like Jane Graveral of Magri or Valine Peon of Mas Fnmot bat Yor the most port he temples are inventive and orignal, sometimes ining and sometimes {siping The Kal ton ent telnet toning range of er ‘work but she 2 wel represented cevheve that hardly tern Cootres” there ate” some” rel Stowstopper in Mimi Parents whose to examples are oth om the 1, tnd. perhaps predictably, Claude ‘Cahn or ee gender tae Dachanpan prorat "Gonder ace of hie, the heat of thi exibition and Bok, and Seep enpoe de tm wey cf perpectives Editor Patrica Allner Se theo in “OF Fallen Angel ad Angel of Anarchy drawing tention te previous shat cores Both Aimet—for example, Daw Aden Mary ‘arp apn cot tat he women rit were ot merely mass to male rie and that the works deserve runes ac utero ston, tert eften informed by common inience Where he works el ot ‘arty er rth the Srl aetna pts ‘epetatiane ofeach ee at which ates oper op tt he fo wih ‘Eiteenceninhoman sere Aes rer the it five ctor Aller tmploys to organize her hough i “Porat and Sef Port” Se floes with “Landscape,” “Interior” “Sie Ie" and “Fann” The nt our ere a6 weal fanny of suet mater, Pethaps, but the works Surrealist, Polysemy inevitably deives them Ceetpe compression into single ‘Steg a fat Allmer scnowiedpe in ‘remark that cthe artwork in theee Sections explode the eaegories from within” (5). Nonetheless, ii interesting to snd for example, abot Oppenbeim's celebrated Object {Dijeuner en fourrure) (3836) or Lee Millers disturbing photograph of an amputated breast (e 1929) 38 meditations onthe tlie aston Under “Landscape we find wake that revel seal imagery heen mate tnd landtormy--Colquhoun’s Se (1936) and Tree Anat (1902) expliily phallic. and vaginal ropectvely le “Ineroe ads oorrys sin Vrs so 87), Jada a dares nT’ ie Ke rk 1943), ad Bs (avin Seankmajerova’s Bet [1976 bo the later 9 white becovering eed teed torre api etree agg aba to wy tht sce toe ss Income with domestic inerine than twih seal double entendres, he Slingers Read My Lips (1923), @ photocollage ta which two mouth Furtound female gentalin na kind of ‘ouecmntc pa “Tosome ent theremin eye follow the eategores introduced by ‘Aline Mary An Ca oles an sy nthe women whe photographed ‘Bermeche and ors the practice, especially Cahun, Maar and Mallee “Trea ot many new cbeevations there, but the exeny fe an interesting ‘inst he its wee en ech hers sb inating ls hance ‘nthe wep of tse and neon sheer Irendshiy Roger Cains mean tn the “Landscape” category begins ‘eth the mer of unusual an sored places Which he sees asa “natural Serenity” that ais ike Agae and Mile cold exploit dough mimicry (G9), and ends th a provocative {question a8 to whether “the female sensi mor ncn envisage ‘hace an pene contrat 03 ‘male prospect of tags yearning and 2 Sexpert tac 4 would ave tee nesting flow that up. Katharine Conley. very capably series the “Tnteror” category, ‘chung tht he women ata ho ‘sed hows imagery did soo tead a iminal apace between sary and tunasncas beeen “beth the ative ‘port inahown' cotinine ‘os sling propensities” 3). Alyce Mahon ‘explores “SlLLite” with frtular empha on Oppenii ard KaMo—ter emp ining dhe later 1 the Spanish tration but she a0 Inv concerning Cahn, Parent an ‘Woodman Grow Prom er nd of on nour Ke fh [197878] ‘Teme more of» commentary on Kahlo's [SAIL te Wetrmns () han om mle surat faring of wc” a ‘te nthor emis (62) ‘Geog MLM. Cave departs tom Alimer's categories fren she ter fercmay masher Forty” Yortha ‘rome’ art. The preitable andouts here are Carrington, Fini and Rimmington bu here are atonal allen iridgater an Pov: The final easy nn dept rm Ales tatonomy wa stl commentary the Coch women Sure Toyen tnd the much less known Medkovd and Srarkmapro Int seme of he est lair materi appes nth esto. “The Bok ls ince ful to the ‘work inthe exibition bogrphies of ‘he rhs and esas, a a let tography Since onect the gabe theca and Doak is to show that women's Stelam cant be constrained bythe steal creumstan of esl” Le ‘Bectonian/Pacan Sure {find lg regret tha here age etl tts who ae never included in such Survey who might vel have ee, One Such the Hungation boen Canadian Sana Wal some of whose paimtngs erent of Kay Sap’ Cann PK Pages ner paintings are angably Inspired ty Sarai, rd se doves fester trata erin uaewore ¥ euro yo Koieg vy ayy Jo 20yINE ay voles 42q0u, 2 m1 otg pur ‘sopms sapua8 ‘ur wapow pur uaWOM 1¥0 84009 jo: s,9peas Aur 03 ‘uonppe auiospuey Asan & pue YsNO.0y Aqqouoseas 5,41 n> FuPI—Is YOM 9H st yoog aun ‘sajqqgnb asaya ayrdsaq, Manareak jenuastsa asteanins-o1osd s,pueudey yim ‘uostreduro> uy yurenb Ajasous ase so s,paouceyy, sastauins jo pu 108 o1ydeso,0yd aszezig aveau> 04 speyo spun 1o4po pur soansedso ajqnop pautojdxa oy “epeuey "Dq “ets 30 (SL6I-FE8T) PAPUA, YOULL jueyodwr {yuap! 03 sea sa} $,uoyaag Jo auo aouys ‘pauzau0s are sde8 se aey sy “dnos’ sunfuag uy