DES MOINES, IA (PNAN) – Surrealism emerged as an important art movement in the early 20th-century. Often defined by chaotic and mysterious imagery inspired by dreams, fantasies and the unconscious, its dramatic visuals and subversive ideas influenced not only generations of artists, but also writers, filmmakers, fashion designers and video game animators.
On view through March 20, 2022 at the Des Moines Art Center, “Fantasy Figures: Surrealist Works on Paper from the Art Center’s Collection” in the John Brady Print Gallery.
Artists in the exhibition include as well as among others: Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Louise Bourgeois, and Dorothea Tanning. In addition, works by René Magritte, Hedda Sterne and Leonor Fini are displayed for the first time. “In recent years the Art Center has been able to expand our collection of Surrealism, and I’m thrilled to introduce our audience to these new images,” said Curatorial Manager Laura Burkhalter.
Dating mainly from the 1930s to the 1960s, Surrealism’s focus on the limitless nature of the mind often led to experimental ways of presenting the human figure. The works in this exhibition include many Surrealistic takes on the body. In the hands of these artists, faces expand and float, limbs twist and dance, people turn into monsters, machines, animals and enigmatic things in-between.
For more information on the Center’s complete programming, see www.desmoinesartcenter.org.