For the 23rd episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Joanna Moorhead, the author of "Surreal Spaces: The Life and Art of Leonora Carrington," published by Princeton University Press.
"Surreal Spaces" tells the dramatic story of an artist who lived life on her own terms in a way that was radically modern for the 1930s, 1940s and later, and the book reveals how her life and art are inextricably entwined.
Leonora Carrington (1917–2011) is one of the vanguards in the history of women artists and the history of Surrealism. Challenging the conventions of her time, Carrington abandoned family, society, and her home in England to embrace new experiences and to forge a unique artistic style in Europe and the Americas.
Leading readers on a personal journey across Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United States, and Mexico, "Surreal Spaces" describes the places and experiences that would become etched in Carrington’s memory and be echoed, sometimes decades later, in her art and writing.
Author Joanna Moorhead's career spans decades in the world of journalism. She is a regular contributor to The Guardian, The Observer, The Times (London), The Art Newspaper and many others. In her art writing, Joanna has cultivated a unique expertise for unraveling the mysteries behind artists' lives and their work, which led her to the heart of surrealist art, where she meticulously uncovered the fascinating story of Leonora Carrington, who also happens to be her distant cousin.
"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications.
Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.
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Purchase "Surreal Spaces: The Life and Art of Leonora Carrington" at Princeton University Press and at Barnes & Noble and at specialty art bookstores.
Music composed by Bob Golden.