Alyce Mahon's 'Dorothea Tanning: A Surrealist World' Reviewed as Overly Academic
In her book, 'Dorothea Tanning: A Surrealist World,' Alyce Mahon presents a thoroughly researched exploration of the artist's experiences, emphasizing her femininity and resilience, even as she is linked to her husband, Max Ernst. According to a review by Hyperallergic, the work serves as an academic endeavor aimed at scholars, delivering an extensive account of Tanning's journey from her early years in Galesburg, Illinois. After relocating to Chicago, she moved to New York in 1935, where she worked as a commercial artist. Her interest in Surrealism was sparked by a 1936 exhibition, and she met Ernst in New York in 1942, marrying him in 1946. The review labels the book as overly ambitious and academic, leading to a tepid defense of Tanning.
Key facts
- Alyce Mahon's book 'Dorothea Tanning: A Surrealist World' is a new publication about the artist's life and work
- Mahon is a professor of art history and the book is described as an academic project targeting other scholars
- Tanning was the daughter of Swedish immigrants in Galesburg, Illinois, and moved to New York in 1935
- In New York she worked as a commercial artist creating advertisements for Macy's and other corporate clients
- She became enthralled with Surrealism after attending the 'Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism' exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1936
- Tanning visited Paris in 1939 with a list of artists she wanted to meet and found the city an eerie ghost town with war on the horizon
- She met Max Ernst in New York in 1942 and married him in 1946
- The review calls the book overly ambitious, too academic, lukewarm, and overly defensive of its subject
Entities
Artists
- Dorothea Tanning
- Max Ernst
- Alyce Mahon
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art
- Macy's
- Hyperallergic
- ADGAP
- DACS
- Max Ernst Museum
Locations
- Galesburg
- Illinois
- United States
- Chicago
- New York
- Paris
- France
- London
- United Kingdom