In this striking photograph, the artist has further transitioned from her childhoodteenage identity of lucy schwob to the genderneutral persona of claude cahun. Claude was born lucie schwob, in 1894, to a wealthy intellectual family in nantes. Rupert thomsons 2018 novel, never anyone but you, was based on the life. Born in france, she lived most of her life on the island of jersey with her stepsister and longterm love, marcel moore. This beautifully illustrated book draws together for the first time the work of french. Jun 29, 2016 in her self portrait from around 1920, cahun with shaved head and neardeath gauntness, is angled to look frail and ill, like a premonition of an auschwitz survivor. 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. Claude cahun was a french artist, photographer and writer. Claude cahun s photographic self portraits present a dizzying kaleidoscopic mix of mystery, exuberance, and sobriety. Victorian textbook, except that the shaven head speaks of isolation in. Born lucy schwob, the french photographer, sculptor, and writer adopted the genderambiguous name claude cahun in 1917. Feb 14, 2012 claude cahun, detail from self portrait. Claude cahun is barely recognizable in selfportrait.
See more ideas about french artists, visual aesthetics and artist. The queen of the photographic selfportrait, claude cahun was also a poet, essayist, critic, translator, actor, and political activist. Gillian wearing and claude cahun princeton university press. Claude cahun 25 october 1894 8 december 1954, born lucy renee mathilde schwob, was a french photographer, sculptor and writer. The two were not just expressing their struggle against inherited canons of representation and morality through art, but were also involved in the resistance. This first comprehensive overview of the oeuvre of claude cahun offers a wealth of. Claude cahun 25 october 1894 8 december 1954, born lucie renee mathilde schwob, was a french photographer, sculptor and writer. This exhibition brings together for the first time the work of french artist claude cahun and british contemporary artist gillian wearing. The capstone nature of the show at least intimated that wearing was moving on to subjects other than herself and i remember thinking that perhaps at last we had reached peak self portrait. One of the most radical artists of the mentioned period was claude cahun, who produced astonishing, bold and elaborate selfportraits in collaboration with her partner marcel moore. She is known for her self portraits that portray her as ambiguously.
May 18, 2017 claude cahun, selfportrait kneeling, naked, with mask c. Claude cahun is a pseudo name for lucy schwob, a surrealist writer and photographer in the 1930s her images only being celebrated since the 1980s. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. She used a wide variety of means of expression to convey her obsession for the themes of identity and selfimage. Claude cahun, a multifaceted artist from the first half of the 2oth century, whose literary and photographic work was forgotten and has been rediscovered recently, used self portrait as a mediation process between her and the world, between her and her other self, whom she pursued all her life, a self free from social and cultural pressures. In her self portrait from around 1920, cahun with shaved head and neardeath gauntness, is angled to look frail and ill, like a premonition of an auschwitz survivor. Schwob adopted the genderambiguous name claude cahun in 1917 and is best known for selfportraits, in which they assumed a variety of personae. Claude cahun archives of women artists, research and. Her work was both political and personal, and often played with the concepts of gender and sexuality.
Cahun s work is considered as strikingly similar to contemporary feminist thinking around gender, identity and sexuality and as a photographer she is described as a forerunner to artists like cindy sherman and gillian wearing. Schwob adopted the genderambiguous name claude cahun in 1917 and is best known for selfportraits, in which. Me as cahun holding a mask on my face is a reconstruction of cahuns self. A unique exploration of selfportraits by two artists born nearly a century apart. Courtesy of jersey heritage trust bridgeman images. She is known for her selfportraits that portray her as ambiguously. 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. Today, cahun is mostly remembered for their incredible self portraits, which used fanciful homemade costumes and scenery to fashion new lives for them to try on. See more ideas about french artists, artist and visual aesthetics. 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. This beautifully illustrated book draws together for the first time the work of french artist and writer claude cahun 18941954 and british contemporary artist gillian.
Looking at her audience, she poses with caped arm raised to display various masks. In this image, cahun has shaved her head and is dressed in mens clothing. From east gallery at norwich university of the arts nua, claude cahun, self portrait, 1928. Claude cahun was a surrealist photographer whose work explored gender identity. A conceptual artist pays homage to surrealist claude cahuns. Apr 12, 2017 this beautifully illustrated book draws together for the first time the work of french artist claude cahun 18941954 and british contemporary artist gillian wearing b. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Cahuns work is considered as strikingly similar to contemporary feminist thinking around gender, identity and sexuality and as a photographer she is described as a forerunner to artists like cindy sherman and gillian wearing. Doy moves beyond standard postmodern approaches, instead repositioning the artist, born lucy schwob, in the context of the turbulent times in which she lived and seeing the photographs as part of cahuns wider life as an artist and writer, a woman and lesbian and as a.
Claude cahun, selfportrait kneeling, naked, with mask c. In common with the m jority of selfpor its produced in her lifetime the likelihood is th t, lthough the concept w s huns, the photogr ph w s t ken by her p rtner, m rcel moore. The androgyny of youth lent itself to cahuns varied selffashioning as female writer, dandy and a boyish head on a pillow, and as her own father in a 1919 portrait that presages wearings series album 2003, included later in the exhibition, in which wearing masked and dressed herself as. Who was claude cahun, muse of diors prefall collection. A woman who andre breton described as one of the most curious spirits of our time and who was a precursor to the next wave of female artist and photographers such as cindy sherman and. Feb 07, 2014 cahuns oeuvre, comprising largely of selfportraits and selfportrait photomontage, demonstrates her interest in gender and the notion of the divided or multiple self. Jul 21, 2014 claude cahun is barely recognizable in selfportrait. Claude cahun, french writer, photographer, surrealist, and performance artist who was largely written out of art history until the late 1980s, when her photographs were included in an exhibition of surrealist photography in 1986. Apr 25, 2017 a unique exploration of selfportraits by two artists born nearly a century apart. Claude cahun and her divided selfs written by brittany. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that.
Wearing, who has exhibited extensively and is a recipient of britains prestigious turner prize, was no stranger to cahuns work when she made the trip to jerseyher 2012 selfportrait, me as cahun holding a mask of my face, is a reconstruction of cahuns iconic selfportrait, made in 1927. French artist claude cahun made a lifelong series of selfportraits in. Helier, jersey, french writer, photographer, surrealist, and performance artist who was largely written out of art history until the late 1980s, when her photographs were included in an exhibition of surrealist photography in 1986. Claude cahunjersey heritage collection a writer born into literary royalty. 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. It was the shaved head, the full mouth, the go fuck yourself look in the eye. Jan 08, 2019 one of the most radical artists of the mentioned period was claude cahun, who produced astonishing, bold and elaborate self portraits in collaboration with her partner marcel moore. 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. The artists head is strikingly and disconcertedly disembodied, suggesting an imbalance, as though the head is disproportionately heavy and the body somehow redundant. This beautifully illustrated book draws together for the first time the work of french artist claude cahun 18941954 and british contemporary artist gillian wearing b.
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. In zoetrope, claude cahuns selfportraits come to life. Claude cahun french writer, photographer, surrealist, and. If there is hate, it is for hateful qualities, not nations.
Published by the national portrait gallery, london, this catalogue accompanies the eponymous exhibition held at the npg 17 march29 september 2017. Cahun 18941954 is best known for riveting photographic selfportraits that. Mar 12, 2017 in one selfportrait, she even holds her own bare face like a mask. Her work was both political and personal, and often played with the. Jan 12, 2018 claude cahun, selfportrait, 1928 photo. Whether getting into character for a costume party or suiting up for an interview, weve all.
Now best known for her striking selfportraits, cahun saw herself primarily as a writer. 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. Claude cahun selfportrait as a young man 1920 claude cahun was a french artist, photographer and writer. Cahuns oeuvre, comprising largely of selfportraits and selfportrait photomontage, demonstrates her interest in gender and the notion of the divided or multiple self. Important art by claude cahun with artwork analysis, influences.
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. Today, cahun is mostly remembered for their incredible selfportraits, which used fanciful homemade costumes and scenery to fashion new lives for them to try on. Marcel moore and claude cahun, selfportraits reflected in a mirror, ca. Cahuns work was both political and personal, and often undermined. The androgyny of youth lent itself to cahuns varied selffashioning as female writer, dandy and a boyish head on a pillow, and as her own father in a 1919 portrait that presages wearings series album 2003, included later in the exhibition, in which wearing masked and dressed herself as members of her own family. Apr 28, 2015 claude cahun, self portrait in cupboard, c. Born in 1894, cahun came from an established family of jewish writers in france. Nov 16, 2017 claude cahun, self portrait, 1928 courtesy of the jersey heritage collections. In 1930 she published aveux non avenus translated into english as disavowals or cancelled confessions, an antimemoir including ten photomontages created in collaboration with moore.
Oct 20, 2017 gillian wearing, self portrait at seventeen years old, 2003. Gillian wearing, self portrait at seventeen years old, 2003. Claude cahuns photographic, genderbending selfportraits present a. Claude cahun was a surrealist photographer whose work explored gender identity and the subconscious mind. Self portrait as a young girl 1914 this photograph is one of the earliest known examples of a self portrait by cahun and displays an intense and penetrating outward stare. In 1930 she published aveux non avenus translated into english as disavowals or cancelled confessions, an antimemoir including ten photomontages created. She is best known for her selfportraits in which she assumes a variety of personas, including dandy, weight lifter, aviator, and doll. Dec 09, 2015 marcel moore and claude cahun, self portraits reflected in a mirror, ca.