In my previous photographic studies, the starting point was predominately based on looking at and researching other photographers and artists in conjunction with their work. I hadn’t been to an exhibition for a while, so thought it a good idea to get back into the habit. I find that with each exhibition I visit, I always find inspiration and potential ideas as well as learning something new.
Tate Modern on the South Bank is one of my favourite art venues in London, so I checked on the institution’s website to see who and what they were exhibiting. One of the current exhibitions featured the work of surrealist photographer, Dora Maar.
When researching Maar, I discovered that she was an artist and poet as well as a photographer with a long and extensive career spanning many decades of the 20th century. I have to admit (somewhat ashamedly) that I hadn’t extensively encountered Maar’s work previous to this. Some of the images seemed familiar and I was intrigued enough to make a visit, which I did on 30th January 2020.
During the 1930s, Dora Maar’s provocative photomontages became celebrated icons of surrealism. Initially trained as a painter, Maar turned to photography and became a commercial success in the spheres of fashion and advertising. Maar was also involved with the surrealist movement, offering her photographic services to Man Ray as an assistant. This eminent photographer turned Maar down, famously stating that ‘he couldn’t teach her anything’.
On visiting the exhibition, I was not disappointed. The exhibition itself was split into nine rooms, each focused on a particular aspect and era of Maar’s work. These were:
- Room 1: The Invention of Dora Maar
- Room 2: On Assignment
- Room 3: On the Street
- Room 4: The Everyday Strange
- Room 5: Surrealism
- Room 6: In the Darkroom and the Studio
- Room 7: The War Years
- Room 8: New Landscapes, New Surfaces
- Room 9: Return
The following works were the ones that had the most impact on me.
I also bought the accompanying book to the exhibition, which I will be reading in much more detail with regards to research.
References:
Tate. (2020). Dora Maar – Exhibition at Tate Modern | Tate. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/dora-maar [Accessed 23 January 2020].
Jennie Meadows MA Photography 