Upping the anti in claude cahun and marcel moores collaborative self portraits by amber smith september 1, 2008 a thesis submitted to the faculty of the graduate school of the state university of new york at buffalo. Claude cahun was a french artist, photographer and writer. Selfportrait, 1928 by claude cahun obelisk art history. The artists selfportrait from 1928 epitomizes her attitude and style, as she. Her long hair is gone, and is replaced by a shaved scalp, stripping away traditional associations of allure made between women and their flowing locks.
Although they were born almost seventy years apart and came from different backgrounds, remarkable parallels can be drawn between the two artists. She is best known for her selfportraits in which she assumes a variety of personas, including dandy, weight lifter, aviator, and doll. Born in france, she lived most of her life on the island of jersey with her stepsister and longterm love, marcel moore. Claude cahun, selfportrait kneeling, naked, with mask c. In this image, cahun has shaved her head and is dressed in mens clothing. A small, short book which consists primarily of illustrations of claude cahuns haunting photography. Claude cahun and marcel moores antinazi propaganda by alyssa rose bralower thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in art history in the graduate college of the university of illinois at urbanachampaign, 2016 urbana, illinois adviser. Claude cahun was a surrealist photographer whose work explored gender identity and the subconscious mind. The art of claude cahun art institute of chicago february 25june 3, 2012 in the first exhibition devoted to the artist in the united states, entre nous. The national portrait gallery will not use your information to contact you or store for any other purpose than to investigate or display your contribution. A conceptual artist pays homage to surrealist claude cahun.
Born lucy schwob to a family of french jewish intellectuals and writers, claude cahunwho adopted the pseudonym at age 22. Finding a lost great gavin james bower far too complicated and singular for her own good, she was also as breton said one of the most curious spirits of our time. Selfportrait, 1928 is a surrealist photography photographic print created by claude cahun in 1928. Claude cahun was a french photographer who was born in 1894. I bought this just for the photographs and because it was the most affordable book of her work available. Study 5 feminist aethetics midterm flashcards from defne c. For cahun, identity is always a mask necessarily strange and ambiguous. Childlike despite her dark hair, makeup and highheels, she stands in stark contrast to the light tapestry behind her. Buddha, mannequin, angel for selfportraits and installations, she rendered opposites. The image is used according to educational fair use, and tagged selfportraits. Born lucy schwob, the french photographer, sculptor, and writer adopted the genderambiguous name claude cahun in 1917. This first comprehensive overview of the oeuvre of claude cahun offers a wealth of previously unpublished photographs and drawings, illuminating not only her work but also that of her partner marcel moore and establishing for the first time the extent of their collaboration. From east gallery at norwich university of the arts nua, claude cahun, self portrait, 1928. Claude cahuns photographic, genderbending selfportraits present a.
Private collection cahun duplicates her look and her likeness to unsettle the site of representation as a seemingly neutral space of regard. She began making photographic selfportraits as early as 1912, when she was 18 years old, and she continued taking images of herself through the 1930s. Claude cahun 25 october 1894 8 december 1954 was a french artist, photographer and writer. But if i were to maintain an altar, claude cahun would sit squarely at the center, the patron.
Although they lived almost one hundred years apart, their work shares similar themes. Photograph collection online museum of modern art, new york city san francisco museum of modern art allen art museum at oberlin college, ohio untitled self. Work record id 232901 image record id 193469 classification filing number 975p c2 20. Claude cahun 18941954 is an artist whose posthumous cult reputation overshadows her earlier obscurity.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Claude cahun s photographic self portraits present a dizzying kaleidoscopic mix of mystery, exuberance, and sobriety. Claude cahun lucy schwob and marcel moore suzanne malherbe, claude cahun, marcel moore. Claude cahun and marcel moore jersey holds the worlds leading collection of work by surrealist claude cahun and avantgarde artist marcel moore, two enigmatic french stepsisters who lived and worked here from the 1930s. Site last updated december 2011 visits since 11 july 2007 visits since 11 july 2007. Claude cahun 25 october 1894 8 december 1954, born lucy renee mathilde schwob, was a french photographer, sculptor and writer schwob adopted the genderambiguous name claude cahun in 1917 and is best known for self portraits, in which they assumed a variety of personae cahun s work was both political and personal, and often undermined traditional concepts of static gender roles. Please note your email address will not be displayed on the page nor will it be used for any marketing. Gillian wearing and claude cahun were born 70 years apart in different countries england and france respectively yet they share remarkably similar preoccupations. In this striking photograph, the artist has further transitioned from her childhoodteenage identity of lucy schwob to the genderneutral persona of claude cahun. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Claude cahun french, 18941954 siterepository parisnew york, zabriskie gallery perioddate ca. It was the shaved head, the full mouth, the go fuck yourself look in the eye. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. If you like her art and want to look back at her pictures then this is a decent option.
A unique exploration of selfportraits by two artists born nearly a century apart. Claude cahun is barely recognizable in selfportrait. Cahun 18941954 is best known for riveting photographic selfportraits that. Looking at her audience, she poses with caped arm raised to display various masks. Claude was born lucie schwob, in 1894, to a wealthy intellectual family in nantes. In zoetrope, claude cahuns selfportraits come to life. Like the gallery of amazon geniuses immortalized by brooks in her portraiture of the 1920s, the photographic work generated by claude cahun and her lover marcel moore during this period takes the politics of gender and sexual identity as a central problematic. Claude cahun at the detroit institute of arts, michigan selfportrait, ca. Gillian wearing and claude cahun, national portrait gallery. On the cover of apertures on feminism issue is a photograph by gillian wearing, who recreated a 1927 selfportrait by the french writer and artist claude cahun. Rediscovered in the 1990s, cahun was known for her gender bending, theatrical photography. Claude cahun and marcel moore by tirza true latimer photography is a kind of primitive theater, a kind of tableau vivant, roland barthes remarked, shifting attention away from the mediums significance as an evolutionary event in the history of pictorial representation. Her work was featured in numerous exhibitions at key galleries and museums, including the national portrait gallery, london and the moma, the museum of modern art.
In her self portrait from around 1920, cahun with shaved head and neardeath. This book draws together for the first time the self. What are a few takeaways you would like your readers to get from reading the self portrait. Suzanne malherbe, 18921972, untitled selfportrait in mirror, c. Feminist aethetics midterm at university of virginia. I dont wear saints medals anymore, and havent lit a candle to one in decades. Claude cahun selfportrait in flowers 1939 claude cahun selfportrait 1930 claude cahun untitled 1938 claude cahun what do you want from me. Schwob adopted the genderambiguous name claude cahun in 1917 and is best known for selfportraits, in which. Her work was both political and personal, and often undermined traditional concepts of gender roles. This beautifully illustrated book draws together for the first time the work of french. Cahuns photographs and selfportraits give her subjects a.
Fig 1 fashion illustration 1916 by marcel moore watercolour jht2003120. Her work was both political and personal, and often played with the concepts of gender and sexuality. Cahun is primarily seen as a lesbian icon, and rarely as a transgender one. The art of claude cahun explores the prescient and provocative work of french surrealist claude cahun. The artists self portrait from 1928 epitomizes her attitude and style, as she stares defiantly at the camera in an outfit that looks neither conventionally masculine nor feminine. The artists selfportrait from 1928 epitomizes her attitude and style, as she stares defiantly at the camera in an outfit that looks neither conventionally masculine nor feminine.
Claude cahun was a transgender artist, years ahead of her time. Gillian wearing and claude cahun princeton university press. This first comprehensive overview of the oeuvre of claude cahun offers a wealth of. Review of disavowals by claude cahun, surrealism, gender. The claude cahun, self portrait is a photography photographic print created by claude cahun in 1929. The life and works of claude cahun, out today from reaktion books, features her photographs, sculptures, and illustrations along with diary entries and writing clips that have never before been translated in english.
Both use the selfportrait to pose questions about what makes us who we are and to suggest that we each have multiple selves lodged within us. Claude cahun 25 october 1894 8 december 1954, born lucy renee mathilde schwob, was a french photographer, sculptor and writer schwob adopted the genderambiguous name claude cahun in 1917 and is best known for selfportraits, in which they assumed a variety of personae cahuns work was both political and personal, and often undermined traditional concepts of static gender roles. Please check here for the latest updates on sfmomas precautions regarding coronavirus. Claude cahun french, 18921954 and marcel moore french, b. Claude cahun and marcel moore, untitled selfportrait in. Wearing, like cahun, conceives of gender as multivalent, jennifer blessing writes in an introduction to a portfolio of wearings. You may never have heard of her but her work has never been more relevant, writes aindrea emelife. Claude cahun was a french artist, photographer and writer who settled in jersey in 1937 early life. By ticking permission to publish you are indicating your agreement for your contribution to be shown on this collection item page. I would like readers to realize that selfportraiture is a genre that starts properly in the christian middle ages, rather than earlier in antiquity, or later in the renaissance. This exhibition brings together for the first time the work of french artist claude cahun and british contemporary artist gillian wearing. Claude cahun 25 october 1894 8 december 1954, born lucy renee mathilde schwob, was a french photographer, sculptor and writer. Claude cahun, self portrait, 1929 having provided examples of the literal duality between male and female in cahuns portraits, i will now demonstrate the ways in which cahun presented this duality in images such as her self portrait, ca. She began making photographic self portraits as early as 1912, when she was 18 years old, and she continued taking images of herself through the 1930s.
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