Surrealism in Latin America

Dawn Ades
Tate Publishing

It is slightly ironic that the Surrealist movement, which at one time was linked so closely with the rejection of the rigid structures of society, is now used to dissect the national history of art in numerous countries.

For nearly three decades, the cultural movement shifted continuously, as it was adopted by a wide range of poets and artists including Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Frida Kahlo, Wifredo Lam, Roberto Matta, César Moro and Octavio Paz. Even though it is almost a century since the first manifestos appeared, this book considers the lasting legacy it left behind.

Examining both visual and literary Surrealism, this text explores in intricate detail how these revolutionaries embraced, adapted and contested different avant-garde ideas and practices. Thematically organised under a range of headings, including Surrealist Love Letters: The Art and Poetry of César Moro, Surrealist Encounters in the New World and Revisiting the Surrealism Revolution, this volume uncovers the significant relationship between Surrealist art and Latin America.

Hannah Clugston