The Lives of the Surrealists
Desmond Morris

The Lives of the Surrealists
Desmond Morris
No other art movement in history has contained two artists as different as Magritte and Miro. This is because Surrealism was not in origin an art movement, but a philosophical strategy. It was a way of life – a rebellion against the establishment that had given the world the hideous slaughter of the First World War.
Instead of trying to analyse the work of the Surrealists, bestselling author and Surrealist artist Desmond Morris concentrates on them as people – as remarkable individuals. What were their personalities, their predilections, their character strengths and flaws? Did they enjoy a social life or were they loners? Were they bold eccentrics or timid recluses?
Drawing on the author’s personal knowledge of the Surrealists, this book captures their life histories, idiosyncrasies and often-complex love lives, vividly illustrated with images of the artists and their works. The arts of Surrealism were both spectacular and international, shaped by the darkest, most irrational workings of the unconscious. Shocking, witty and always entertaining, Morris’s tales illuminate the striking variation in approaches to the Surrealist philosophy, both in the artists' work and in their lives.
With 72 illustrations.
This item is in-stock and will ship in 2-3 business days
Please note, our stock data is updated overnight, and availability may change throughout the day. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.

WHO ARE YOU: Australian Portraiture
$69.95Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Sybil & Cyril: Cutting Through Time
$39.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Catholica: The Visual Culture of Catholicism
$49.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...
Special price

Doing Feminism: Women’s Art and Feminist Criticism in Australia
$159.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Bacon in Moscow
$34.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Hilma af Klint: The secret paintings
$50.00Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Free Fall
$60.00Buy now
Finding stock availability...

140 Artists' Ideas for Planet Earth
$14.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...