Monsters and Myths: Surrealism and War in the 1930s and 1940s - Oliver Tostmann

Despite the political and personal turmoil, it was a period of surprising brilliance and fertility: avant-garde artists on both sides of the Atlantic pushed themselves to engage artistically with the psychological forces propelling contemporary history, and some of the most potent and striking images of Surrealism came into being. Trailblazing essays by four experts in the field showcase the experimental and international extent of Surrealist art during these years - and, perhaps most unexpectedly of all, its irrepressible beauty. Well-known Surrealists and other artists associated with or influenced by the Surrealist movement - from Picasso to Pollock--are represented by masterworks and rarities in a wide range of media. Accompanying a major traveling exhibition, Monsters and Myths breaks new ground in art history and, more broadly, offers object lessons for the artists, art lovers, and engaged citizens of our own time.