Hans Bellmer

by Agnès de la Beaumelle, Alain Sayag, Wieland Schmied

The Surrealists' fascination with dolls and machines that resembled humans is especially evident in the work of Hans Bellmer (1902-1975), the subject of this comprehensive monograph. Rejecting the Nazis' Aryan ideals, the artist spent the years after 1933 creating disturbing dolls out of wax, wood, flax, plaster and glue--equipped with wigs and glass eyes. Photographs of these fetishistic simulacra were published in Minotaure, the Surrealists' magazine, and eagerly supported by members of Andre Breton's circle. After immigrating to Paris, Bellmer continued to develop his erotic obsessions through his art, now influenced by the writings of the Marquis de Sade and Georges Bataille, and began to collaborate with his companion, the German artist Unica Zurn. Deeply involved in Freudian discourse, his drawings, lithographs and photographs investigate psychoanalytic theories around hysteria and transference and reveal a singular exploration into the relationship between language and the body.

Genres: Art

280 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2006

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the art and the world of Hans Bellmer. Throughout the years I have seen various little books on his 'doll' fixation, which of course is disturbing, but also are highly erotic. Here we have drawings and photographs of his scuptures (dolls) that are placed in dark staircases or by a dead tree. There is a mixture of death, sexual activity, and the forbidden -which for me is an attraction to this inner-world of Bellmer.

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get it now.
Erotic and macabe etchings / sculpture / and painting

It has more of this master's art than any of the out of print books Ive been trying to track down for years!