Whilst walking along a desert path in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico I unexpectantly came across an outdoor exhibition of Leonora Carrington’s paintings and sculptures.
It is fair to say that I did not know much about Carrington’s work or life. She was a British born surrealist artist who spent most of her adult life in Mexico, however, I do know a reasonable amount about a contemporary, Frida Kahlo – why is that?
They were both female surrealist artist (if one dares to attempt to categorise Kahlo’s individualistic art), active in the first half of the 20th century living in Mexico with feminism as a common cause. Yet one is internationally feted with the other barely known outside the artistic community (and Mexico where she has a dedicated museum).
There are a number of other parallels between the two artists which I will try not to dwell on too much, as I have covered Fridamania in an earlier blog, but I just wanted to touch on the subjective topic on what gets enthusiastically adopted by the media to form public taste and then becomes great art (or is it the other way around?).
Mexico has a unique and rich culture and this manifests itself in its art. Clearly this must have pervaded Carrington’s art when she commandeered the surrealist landscape with her fantastical work. Some of her concepts were autobiographical, another parallel with Kahlo’s highly personalised work.
Kahlo’s disabilities through polio and a serious road accident when a teenager has been well published. Conversely Carrington had a serious mental affliction and in 1940s she was admitted whilst in Spain to an asylum where she endured electrotherapy and fit inducing drugs – did this influence her mystical and otherworldly art I wonder?
Carrington once said ‘canvas is an empty place’. This she filled with magical realism and alchemy using autobiographical detail and symbolism as her subjects. In my opinion Leonora Carrington is an overlooked artist in Britain (but not in Mexico) whose time is yet to come!
*Leonora Carrington OBE – (6 April 2017 to 25 May 2011)
Carrington was a surrealist painter, sculptor and novelist. She was a founding member of the Women’s Liberation Movement in Mexico in the 1970s.
Carrington was born in Chorley, Lancashire to an Irish mother and father who was a wealthy industrialist.
She had a rebellious childhood and was expelled from two schools. She attended several art schools including the Amédeé Ozenfant in London (1936-38).
In 1937 Carrington met Max Ernst in London and had a relationship with him. She was 20 and he was 47 and on his third marriage. They settled in Paris where they both produced important works including her self-portrait, The Inn of the Dawn Horse.
During the occupation of France, Ernst was arrested by the Gestapo (even though he was German) as his art was considered degenerate. Ernst escaped and fled to the USA where in 1941 he married Peggy Guggenheim in New York. Meantime Carrington fled to Spain where she had a mental breakdown and was hospitalised in an asylum. It was a traumatic time in her life, eventually she escaped and by accident met Renato Leduc, a friend of Picasso who was a Mexican Ambassador. They agreed a marriage of convenience and she moved to Mexico City where she continued to live for most of her life. In keeping with the great Mexican art form of murals she created a mural of regional folk stories at the Museo Nacional Antropologia in Mexico City.
Best wishes
Filippi