Dorothea Tanning American, 1910-2012

Dorothea Tanning (1910–2012) was an American artist, writer, and poet, celebrated for her unique contributions to surrealism and contemporary art. Born in Galesburg, Illinois, she moved to Chicago in the 1930s, and later to New York, where she immersed herself in the vibrant art scene. Tanning was largely self-taught and quickly became captivated by surrealism, drawing influence from the movement's exploration of the subconscious mind, dreams, and the irrational. Her early paintings, such as Birthday (1942), reflect her surrealist leanings, portraying strange, dream-like environments inhabited by enigmatic figures, often young women.

 

Tanning's personal and artistic life took a significant turn when she met the German surrealist Max Ernst in 1942. The two fell in love and married in 1946, and Ernst became both a companion and a major influence on her work. The couple relocated to Sedona, Arizona, where they built a studio and delved into a period of intense creative collaboration. During this time, Tanning's works became more mature, characterized by a refined and personal surrealism. She often depicted the female form in complex, symbolic ways, with recurring motifs of doors, corridors, and other mysterious architectural spaces that suggested the fluid boundaries between reality and imagination.

 

As her career progressed, Tanning's art evolved from surrealist figurations into more abstract compositions. By the 1950s and 1960s, her canvases began to feature turbulent, fragmented shapes and swirling forms that seemed to move beyond narrative representation, embodying more psychological and emotional states. In addition to painting, she expanded her artistic practice to include sculpture, creating soft fabric works, like her celebrated Poppy Hotel series, which blurred the line between domestic objects and surrealist forms. Throughout her career, Tanning embraced a multi-disciplinary approach, and she continued to paint, sculpt, and write well into her later years.

 

In addition to her visual art, Tanning was also an accomplished writer. She published two memoirs, Birthday (1986) and Between Lives (2001), which reflect on her artistic journey, her life with Max Ernst, and her own exploration of the human psyche. Tanning’s poems and short stories further demonstrated her deep fascination with the surreal and the uncanny. She remained an influential figure in the art world until her passing at the age of 101.