MAX ERNST

Description

"Nobody was as good as Max Ernst at turning the pockets of reality inside out." – Tristan Tzara

Outstanding for his varied style and technique, Max Ernst (1891–1976) is one of the most important figures of Dadaism and Surrealism. As a student in Bonn, he found himself drawn to the Dada movement that had arisen in counter-reaction to the mass slaughter of World War I.

The closing of the famed Dada exhibition in Cologne for “obscenity” led Ernst to decide to spend the rest of his life in Paris, where he came into close contact with the Surrealists.

Above all, Ernst stands out for the breadth of his practice, producing an oeuvre that ranges from painting, drawing, and sculpture to texts, stage settings, collage-novels, and the development of his own frottage technique.

During World War II, Ernst—like many of his colleagues—was labelled an “undesirable foreigner” and forced to emigrate. After the war, however, he returned to his adopted homeland. In 1954 he received the Grand Prize for Painting at the Venice Biennale, and during the 1960s his work was honoured with major retrospectives.

About the series: Each book in TASCHEN’s Art series features a detailed chronological summary of the artist’s life and oeuvre, covering cultural and historical importance, a concise biography, and approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions. By Ulrich Bischoff.

The best introduction you could find to Max Ernst, his art, and his world — a world without boundaries and without end.

Images © Various. All Rights Reserved.

5 STARS OUT OF FIVE