Dorothea Tanning

Surrealist painter Dorothea Tanning is an artist of interest for me, in particular the change in direction in her work of the late 50’s (‘A Mi-Voix’ and ‘Insomnias’ 1957), at this time her paintings became more abstract .Tanning, talking of her change in direction is quoted as saying of her earlier works of the 40’s and early 50’s: ‘I feel they’re the work of a very young person … And someone who doesn’t think as much about the techniques of painting as about what’s being painted.’ She continued, ‘Any true artist is going to explore the medium as long as he can draw breath. It would be grotesque to paint the same way, over and over all your life.’ (Towler, 2016) This statement resonates with me. I acknowledge the need to ‘explore the medium’ and allow my process to evolve and develop. Tanning’s ‘A Mi-Voix’ is a painting which demonstrates a profound understanding of oils. The piece appeals to me through multi layers of painterly, gestural marks describing, abstracting and although without an obvious translation is to me ultimately aesthetically beautiful regardless.

Towler, L. (2016, Dec). Dorothea Tanning-A Mi-Voix 1958. Retrieved May 18, 2019, from Tate.org.uk: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/tanning-a-mi-voix-t00298