Surrealism is often an art of metamorphosis and of the deeper desires of the unconscious mind. The confusions of categories between the organic and mineral, the human and the animal are some of its main themes, as is the uncanny; dolls, mannequins, found objects that the artist changes into new and strange creations.
Through a selection of the works of three artists: André masson, one of the founding members of the Surrealist group, Hans Bellmer, who combined eroticism with grace, and Pierre Jahan, whose photographic oeuvre is close to the ethos of the surrealists, we endeavour to show the "Surrealist figure" and its incarnations in this selection.
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Hans BellmerSans titre (Femme), c. 1940Pencil on paper19 x 11.5 cm ( 7 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.)
40 x 33 cm (15 3/4 x 13 in.), framed -
André MassonDans le pur néant. À la cîme de l'Être, 1939India ink on paper63 × 48 cmSigned on the lower right and titled on the reverse
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André MassonJeux d'oiseaux, c. 1965Felt pen on tracing paper35 x 35.5 cm (13 ¾ x 14 in.)Signed on the lower left, "André Masson"
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Pierre JahanL'Herbier surréaliste (Arrehenathrum Elatius), 1945-1948Gelatin-silver print, photogram and burnt edges40 × 31 cm
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Pierre JahanNu au chardon, 1952Gelatin silver print, photogram and photo-collage40 × 30 cmSigned by the artist on the lower-left corner.
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Pierre JahanSans titre (Nu à l'épi), 1945-1948Gelatin-silver print, photogram, burnt edges40 × 31 cm
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Pierre JahanL'Herbier surréaliste (Hordeum Murinum), 1945-1948Gelatin silver print, photogram, burnt edges40 × 31 cm
