In 1970, unica zurn, the companion and lover of the surrealist artist hans bellmer, threw herself from the sixth floor. Her anguish schizophrenia leads her to reside in several psychiatric clinics. Perhaps it is inevitable that i have to start at the end. In this relationship, something was always at a full boil. Mar 30, 2016 while zurn is often discussed in relation to her partner, the controversial artist hans bellmer, this innovative book moves beyond the familiar model of the overlooked significant other and reintroduces her as a member of the french surrealist group. Zurn moved to paris to live with surrealist hans bellmer. Zurns companion, the artist hans bellmer, accused her of indulging in. Unica zurn 6 july 1916 19 october 1970 was a german author and artist. Pdf this article is about the work of german surrealist unica zurn 19161970. Hans bellmer march, 1902 february 24, 1975, german. She was the prototype for hans bellmers infamous poupee art. After meeting hans bellmer in 1953, she followed him to paris, where she became acquainted with the surrealists and. As a word of warning, if you buy a copy of this book and you should, in the.
Pdf the undoing of unica zurn and hans bellmer kristin. Both an accomplished author and artist, zurn remains best known as the companion of the german surrealist, hans bellmer, with whom she was involved for 17 years until her suicide in 1970. Hans bellmer and unica zurn hans bellmer seems to have fed on unica zurns illness. Her suicide was the culmination of thirteen years of mental crises which are described with disarming, honest lucidity in the man of jasmine, subtitled impressions from a mental illness. The artist is remembered for his lifesized pubescent female dolls created in the middle of 1930s. Zurn is remembered for her works of anagram poetry and automatic drawing and for her photographic collaborations with hans bellmer. Mar 10, 20 most leaders dont even know the game they are in simon sinek at live2lead 2016 duration. Dec 23, 2016 unica zurn 19161970 emigrated in 1953 from her native berlin to paris in order to live with the artist hans bellmer. Dark spring is an autobiographical comingofage novel that reads more l. Nov 05, 20 zurn, untitled 1965 zurn, untitled 1960s zurn, untitled 1967 i only came across zurns life and work recently, and i dont think this post even begins to scratch the surface of the complexity of her work or her relationship with hans bellmer, whose work i am very fond of as well. One of my ambitions in editing this book read the complete editors.
She had four exhibitions of her drawings between 1956 and 1964, and was included, alongside bellmer, in the major exposition internationale. Jasmine in 1967, as well as another prescient book, dark spring. To tell the death of unica zurn, the german surrealist artist and writer, at the beginning. Apr 04, 2018 in 1970, after over a decade of intermittent hospitalization for mental illness, unica zurn committed suicide by jumping out the window of the apartment of her longtime companion, the surrealist artist hans bellmer. She met hans bellmer, a great surrealist painter, and went to live with him in paris. In it author unica zurn traces the roots of her obsessions. The feminist surrealism of unica zurns outsider art part of the surrealist movement, unica zurn created anagram poetry and drawings. Breton, man ray, and henri michaux, through hans bellmer, with whom she was to have a long and tumultuous relationship, pervaded by misogyny and sadism, until her death. Many are familiar with hans bellmers haunting and iconic photographs of his dolls, especially the dramatic and arguably misogynistic stagings of the dolls balljointed second iteration.
Dark spring by unica zurn is a devastating comingofage story of an. An exhibition of bellmer and zurns work took place at the ubu gallery in new york city in the spring of 2012. She survived by writing for the radio and the press. In 1970, unica zurn returns to paris to spend a few days with hans bellmer and commits suicide by jumping from the balcony of his apartment. They divorced in 1930, their house was sold and unica had to go out to work. Dark spring is the story of a young girls simultaneous introduction to sexuality and mental illness, revealing a different aspect of the mad love so romanticized by the predominantly male surrealists. Oct 20, 2017 her father was a soldier and her mother a writer. Help us create the kind of literary community youve always dreamed of. This despite, or perhaps, because of her use of the 3rd person zurns original manuscript of the man of jasmine even attributes the book to the wife of hans bellmer. One can see me as the type of man with antennae that can pick up a potential womanvictim. Her published texts include hexentexte the witches texts 1954, a book of. Unica zurns novella the trumpets of jericho takes place in a certain limbo, at the torn seam between verisimilitude and disbelief. Unica zurn, young woman with fringe, print signed by bellmer. Less familiar are bellmer s collaborations with his partner unica zurn, a german artist and writer who became involved with the surrealist milieu in the 1950s.
The representation of women in surrealism by katharine conley nebraska. A more appropriate title for this show could be ties that bindeither by destiny or, to be more vulgar, by rope. Unica zurns novella the trumpets of jericho takes place in a certain limbo. Hans bellmer s art, often in the form of dolls he called language images, served as a form of personal therapy, in which he objectified abusive relationships, explored his fantasies, and projected the essence of his desire for women and objects. Like many works that emerged, directly or indirectly, from the surrealist movement zurn and her husband hans bellmer, the artist and surrealist photographer, moved in those circles, dark spring features a great deal of pornographic content, at times putting me in mind of georges batailles story of the eye. Jan 28, 2014 when hans bellmer first met unica zurn, he said, here is the doll. Such ties are revealed in this edgy exhibition of more than 50 works dedicated to the 15 years of collaborative effort between hans bellmer and unica zurn, who, in turn, were inspired by the erotica of their surrealist artist and poet friends. Apr 17, 2020 unica zurn was the partner of the great artist hans bellmer for the last sixteen years of her life. In 1970, unica zurn, the companion and lover of the surrealist artist hans bellmer, threw herself from the sixth floor window of their apartment in paris. While unica zurns literature portrays a life of illness and loss, her drawings attest to. While zurn is often discussed in relation to her partner, the controversial artist hans bellmer, this innovative book moves beyond the familiar model of the overlooked significant other and reintroduces her as a member of the french surrealist group. Her suicide was the culmination of thirteen years of mental crises which are described with disarming lucidity in the man of jasmine, subtitled impressions from a mental illness. This proclamation would be the beginning of their relationship, and sums up the basis of this union.
Historians of art and photography also consider him a surrealist photographer. She leapt from the window of the sixth floor apartment in paris that she shared with hans bellmer, her companion of 16 years. Dark spring by unica zurn a devastating and disturbing. Unica zurn 191670 emigrated in 1953 from her native berlin to paris in order to live with the artist hans bellmer. Dark spring is an autobiographical comingofage novel that reads more like an exorcism than a memoir.
Unica zurn, works, prints, etchings, aquatints, gallery. The bulk of her relatively small artistic output was created during zurns relationship. Dark spring is an autobiographical comingofage novel that reads more. Toward the end of world war ii, she discovered the realities of the nazi concentration camps. This is the first monograph on the life and work of the unica zurn in english. An exhibition of bellmer and zurns work took place at the ubu gallery in new. It was a tumultuous union that birthed great collaborations between them while also furthering a kind of psychosis. It remains to be seen if i immediately, from the first time we met, sensed that unica was a victim. Her body was used in a series of photographs bellmer took of her bound with string, exploring folds of flesh, reproduced in a book of his photos published by filipacchicentre georges pompidou in 1983. Zurn s mental collapse was initiated when she encountered in. Jan 01, 1971 in 1970, unica zurn, the companion and lover of the surrealist artist hans bellmer, threw herself from the sixth floor window of their apartment in paris. Unica zurn dark spring a noted poet and novelist, zurn produced numerous expressionistic short stories that were published in german newspapers throughout the 1950s before moving to paris with german surrealist artist, hans bellmer, who would be her partner and collaborator until her death.
Most leaders dont even know the game they are in simon sinek at live2lead 2016 duration. Unica zurn diagnosed with schizophrenia in the 1950s, german writer and artist unica z. Hans bellmer was a photographer, sculptor, printmaker, painter and writer. The stress of bringing the unconscious and past to the forefront in their art and relationship helped unica zurn and hans bellmer to fall into fragmentation and disintegration which ultimately led to death. Young woman with fringe unica zurn, signed print, on sale at michelle champetier, prints art gallery, specialist in bellmer hans, lithograph, etching, screenprint, book. Hans bellmer was a german artist who worked in many art fields such as painting, sculpture, installation and photography creating his artworks in a surrealist and dada style. The university of nebraska press, 1996 2 from a letter published in the complete works of unica zurn, berlin. Dark spring by unica zurn a devastating and disturbing comingof. The exotic father she idealized, the impure mother she detested, the masochistic fantasies and onanistic rituals which she said described the erotic life of a little girl based on my own childhood. Sombre printemps by zurn unica and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. She also writes holidays at the white house, then, in a few days only, dark spring 1967.
729 518 70 1480 1246 1513 243 1550 10 1287 464 453 438 208 762 624 162 1517 152 439 1521 517 564 617 1177 224 1350 1211 769 1116 1185 1284 154 1227 1064 733 1199 283 153 688 1291 941