Nina Oleynik 26 September AR494 Capstone Research Proposal:

1 Statement of the idea: What is the work about?

Topic: Second wave feminist surrealist artists – how women subvert the masculine tradition of to make it their own; how this informs their work

Subtopic: Specific artists such as: Yayoi Kusama (?) (Japanese), Fanny Brennan (French-

American), Kay Sage (American), and/or Louise Bourgeois (French)

— Research question and hypothesis

Research question(s): How do women surrealist artists subvert the masculine tradition of surrealism to make it their own; how does this feminist context inform their work? How can they turn the object of lust or desire into power?

(Working) Hypothesis: Violence and personal narrative inform their work

2 Statement of significance: Why is this work important? Why should we be interested?

This work is important because it both points to the key role in which women played in the original surrealist movement of 1924, as well as giving context for feminist surrealist art making.

It suggests that through the lens of feminist theory and liberation, the work of surrealist can be more clearly identified and properly interpreted. I think this research has an opportunity to take existing research on feminist surrealist artists one step further, after seeing their importance within the movement, and examine how various women surrealist artist subvert the masculine tradition. We should be interested in the research I will put forward because it allows us to see how these women both create meaning for themselves and their viewers.

Existing Expertise: Women in art since the 1960’s, surrealism focus in 19th/2th century art class taken abroad. I conducted a research paper in high school on the life and work of

1 (another surrealist artist) and her rejection of the American Dream. I have an interest in exploring less commonly known women artists in a surrealist light.

— Brief review of literature (what others have said or done on this topic?)

The article that I used for my reverse proposal project specifically mentions two works:

Surréalisme et sexualité (1971) (not sure where I can find this) by Xavière Gauthier and Women

Artists and the Surrealist Movement (1985) as being landmark studies of the women who were involved with the surrealist movement (which I have checked out and intend to use). These two works examine the relationship between men and women in the surrealist movement as well as specifically the role of women’s art as an activating factor.

I hope to expand on these two works by researching artists specific backgrounds/biographies to better understand and make sense of their art through a feminist lens.

I also intend to research on feminist theory in art history as a whole (see working bibliography) – much has been written on this topic. I also can use resources that I have previously looked at in my Women in art since the 1960’s course.

— Statement of how your work will increase or forward knowledge in the field

This work will allow surrealist women’s art to be seen in a more meaningful way – ie. With complexities of background of experience through looking at their personal accounts (writing, poetry, art, etc.).

3 Statement of method and process: How will this work be accomplished?

This work will be accomplished by looking closely at the art (painting and sculpture) made by

Louise Bourgeois and Kay Sage as well as the writing surrounding their work – written by them and others. I think the combination of these two mediums will clearly underscore their importance within the larger surrealist movement. I think in an attempt to research their

2 contextual backgrounds, I will find recurring symbolism within their works, possibly themes of reciprocity, trauma/violence and/or intimacy.

— Statement of general field (feminist art history, iconographic studies, psychological art studies, etc.)

Feminist art history will be the main field of study.

— What resources will you use?

Primary source documents such as articles, paintings, sculpture interviews etc. done by surrealist women artists as well as analytical documents/reviews about their work done by scholars, art historians and feminist thinkers.

Preliminary Resources:

1) https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-women-surrealism-muses-masters - women in

Surrealism as object of male desire

2) Surrealist women: an international anthology, Rosemont

3) In wonderland, the surrealist adventures of women artists in Mexico and the United States,

Fort Arco

4) Women Artists and the Surrealist Movement, Whitney Chadwick

5) Louise Bourgeois, Frances Morris

6) Contemporary showings – White Cube Gallery “Dreamers Awake” – all female surrealist art show

7) Double Solitaire: The Surreal Worlds of Kay Sage and , edited by Nancy Wallach with essays by Stephen Robeson Miller and Jonathan Stuhlman

8) Feminism and art history now: radical critiques of theory and practice

3 Other possible resources: Colby College arts library has wealth of information on surrealist artists, Veronique Plesch – specializes in Surrealist art, Prof. Harkett – 19th and 20th century art specialty.

— Working timetable

Oct 4 – annotated bibliography

Oct 25 – outline

Nov 8 – first draft

Dec 6 – final draft of research paper

4 Statement of result — What do you expect to find out?

I hope to find recurring symbolism within works. Examples of this would include reciprocity, trauma and/or intimacy. There is also a possibility that there will be additional important symbols added once research is conducted. I hope to find these recurring symbols in order to determine the concrete and clear ways that these female artists subvert and critique the original, masculine tradition in which surrealist art was made. I feel that these symbols will reveal a larger truth about feminist surrealist work that can be easily applicable to contemporary work. From an article I already looked at, another thread could be the way in which women artists are in dialogue with each other and other cultures i.e. Western and non-western cultures responses to surrealist art (Mexico and Europe).

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