Feminist Critique & Transformation
Loy’s 1930 painting Surreal Scene provides a fascinating reflection on Surrealism in Paris. Through a series of small tableaux arranged around the larger figure of a female nude, the painting critically analyzes the role of women and Surrealism. Just as Loy mapped the scenes of Futurist Florence in her poetry (see “Futurist Florence/Futurist Rome”), “Surreal Scene” maps the aesthetic preoccupations of the Surrealist movement, as it extended into domestic, public, and psychological terrain. Even as she casts a critical eye on Surrealism’s treatment of women, Loy’s painting stakes out her role as a dynamic part of the “Surreal Scene.” In this section, you can explore:
- StoryMap of Surreal Scene (below)
- Self-Portraits
- Criticism of Freud & Eros Obsolete
- Surrealist Objects, Fashion, Design
- Surrealist Poetics: Word & Image
- Surrealism in Loy’s Paris-era Poetry
- Mina Loy, Jazz, Surrealism & Race
Click the arrows below to tour Loy’s painting and then hop on the Carousel to investigate transformations of Surrealism in the work of Loy and her female contemporaries:
What were some of the central adaptations and transformations of Surrealist ideas and techniques in the work of Loy and her female contemporaries? Choose from the Carousel below: