In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States

I first came across this rich tome at Gallery Wendi Norris' Leonora Carrington exhibit summer of 2019 among several books set out for browsing on Leonora, Surrealism, & women artists. 48 women Surrealists are featured in it, & it has, for me, eclipsed Whitney Chadwick's classic study, Women Artists and the Surrealist Movement. The usual stalwarts are here-Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Kay Sage, Dorothea Tanning, & Lee Miller. But are you familiar with Rosa Rolando (whose self-portrait graces the cover)? Gerrie Gutmann? Marie Izquierdo? Bridget Tichenor? Gertrude Abercrombie? Lola Alvarez Bravo? Alice Rahon? Helen Lundeberg? Dorr Bothwell? Francesca Woodman? (Taschen & Prestel publish some of your affordable books for these ladies to give them some individual exposure). I was thrilled to discover these artists, & found my love for Surrealism re-kindled. The reproductions (color & some black & white), readable essays, & succinct artist bios will have you continually perusing In Wonderland. The inclusion of various lesser known artworks by myriad lesser known women artists is a tonic. If you're an aficionado of Surrealism, the female artists associated with it (who are now getting long overdue recognition), & the period when many of these artists were forced into exile to Mexico & the U.S.A. during WWII, this is a catalog to grab & add to your volumes on this particular art movement.

While the original Surrealists were largely male, sometimes oppressively so for all their brilliance, it's fascinating to see how the women artists have endured as creative forces in the long run. Leonora Carrington was still painting well into her late 90s, and Dorothea Tanning continued to write poetry & memoir up to her death just a month shy of her 102nd birthday. This exhibit catalogue of 48 women & their ongoing life's work is a revelation, with brief biographies of the artists & a generous sampling of their art, which is reproduced in either crystalline black-&-white (in the case of photography & drawings), or in sensuously rich color which seems to saturate the heavy white pages. And while there are some names even the novice will find familiar, such as Frido Kahlo, for the most part these are creators who will either be new to many readers, or else new as artists -- the poet Mina Loy immediately comes to mind. Even better, the most recent works are from the 21st Century, showing how the Surrealist influence has continued to thrive in the hands of younger artists. And while there's a distinctly female approach to much of this work, each artist's unique vision comes through clearly, encompassing feminism but not bounded by it. In the end, this is the pure expression of individual souls who see the world with visionary eyes -- sometimes ablaze with light, sometimes steeped in darkness, but always as something new & fresh & (that Surrealist ideal) Marvelous. Most highly recommended!

I am ashamed to say that I did not know some of the artists. This book is probably the tip of the iceberg of the many talents that are/were going unnoticed; there is a small bio of the artists at the end. The quality of the reproductions is good.

Great book! Large reproductions of many works by women with whom I was not familiar, as well as some of the better known ones. Very exciting stuff! And some great reading too, but not too much text.

Whether or not you can see the exhibit on which this book is based (I wish I could have), I highly recommend the book itself as a welcome addition to the very limited supply of books on women Surrealist artists as a group (I know of only two, Whitney Chadwick's  Women Artists and the Surrealist Movement --start with this one--and  Angels of Anarchy: Women Artists and Surrealism , edited by Patricia Allmer). The pictures in the book are large, plentiful, and lovely, most in full color, and the essays and brief biographical sketches are informative. Best of all, the book includes a number of interesting artists I'd never heard of, plus works by more familiar figures (Frida Kahlo, Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington) that I hadn't seen. The essays and pictures bring out the unique inspiration that the landscapes and native cultures of the southwestern United States and Mexico provided to numerous women, both native and expatriate, and show how different artists developed similar themes.

wonderful book and new copies available at LACMA book store.

One of my favorite Art exhibits. So glad I get to revisit anytime I want just by opening the book.

A very fine survey book of Women artist in the US and Mexico. Nicely illustrated. I found it to be a worthwhile purchase.

I saw the actual exhibition of this work in Quebec City at the Museum de Beaux Arts and this book is an exact replica of the actual works. What a wonderful memory of a most incredible exposition......It was $20.00 less expensive at Amazon than in the museum book store. I urge you to purchase this exceptional book In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States, especially if you do not have the opportunity to see the actual exhibition. In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United StatesIn Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States

This exhibition catalogue is a great reflection to an amazing exhibition. The reproductions of the original works are well done. The essays offer great insight into Women Surrealist artist in the United States and Mexico. What is really good, is that it shows the influence of surrealist thought and strategies that are present in some contemporary art works.

Sehr schönes Buch. Super Bilder und wirklich außerordentlich informativ ! Es lohnt sich wirklich sehr und bietet einen präzisen Einblick in die Thematik ! Ich kann es nur weiterempfehlen :)