Celebrating Art History: Max Ernst

April is the month of Max Ernst‘s birth and life (2 April 1891 – 1 April 1976), so it seems appropriate to celebrate his contributions to Surrealism and the Dada movement with the first post of our “Celebrating Art History” series. The series will pop up from time-to-time, when historical dates of significant artists pop up. The posts will serve less to inform with biographical information, but more to inform with visual examples. They will be mere introductions into the art and lives of notable artists who you may or may not already know, hopefully instilling readers with the curiosity to delve into the past. Ernst is certainly a well-known name, but they won’t all be this way!

Now onto some of Ernst’s works.


The Gramineous Bicycle Garnished with Bells the Dappled Fire Damps and the Echinoderms Bending the Spine to Look for Caresses. 1920/21. Gouache on print. 74.3 x 99.7 cm. The Museum of Modern Arts, New York, NY, USA.


Of This Men Shall Know Nothing. Oil on canvas. 81 x 64 cm. 1923. Tate Gallery, London, UK. (Many pieces of art these days are certainly reminiscent of this image by Ernst.)


L’Ange du foyer ou Le Triomphe du surréalisme. 1937. Oil on canvas. 114 x 146 cm. Private collection.

Read a detailed biography of Ernst on Wikipedia.

Written by
Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Managing Editor of South Seattle Emerald, and Co-Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!, and are pursuing a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota.

View all articles
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Written by Vee Hua 華婷婷
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x