The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art

Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum
Collection presents a select group of artworks that have an affinity to the
ideas and methods of the surrealists. These works demonstrate the
museum’s commitment to collecting artworks in a broad range of historical
periods, stylistic variations, and media. The Surrealist Impulse highlights the
generosity of 13 families who recently have donated artworks to the
museum’s collection. These artworks represent a small percentage of the
476 works donated since 2004. Tacoma Art Museum thanks all of its patrons
for their donations and their trust in the museum to keep and share these
artworks for future generations.

The term surréalisme was used first by the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire
in 1917 in response to the ballet Parade, created by composer Erik Satie and
artists Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso. It referred to the free flow of ideas
uniting the world of dream and fantasy with that of the everyday rational
world in an “absolute reality, or surreality.” Surrealism emerged fully in the
1920s as a literary movement responding to the expanding intellectual crises
and social turmoil after World War I. Surrealist writers, including Andre
Breton, were influenced heavily by Sigmund Freud’s work in defining the
unconscious and sought direct access to the deepest levels of the human
mind, unfiltered by logic or reason. By the early 1920s, visual artists had
incorporated the ideas and methods of the surrealist writers and created
works based on dream-like imagery, ideas mined directly from the
unconscious and odd juxtapositions of objects. By 1929, Salvador Dalí, one of
the most influential and recognizable artists of the 20th century, had joined
the movement. Dalí’s portfolio of prints The Song of Songs of King Solomon,
from late in his career, is included in this exhibition.

With the significant exception of Salvador Dalí of Spain, the artists included
in The Surrealist Impulse created their works here in the Pacific Northwest or,
as in the case of Bertil Vallien, have played important roles in this region.
Only Morris Graves worked during the formative years of European
surrealism—he began incorporating the overt symbolism of surrealism into
his works in the mid-1930s. Like Graves, many other contemporary
Northwest artists have absorbed the conceptual foundations of surrealism
and created art based in part on surrealism’s ideas, visual strategies, and
psychological impact. The common thread that links the works in this
exhibition draws attention to how surrealism remains a persistent and
powerful influence in contemporary art.

This symbol indicates that the work was created by a Northwest artist.

This exhibition is sponsored by City Arts Tacoma and AA Party Rentals.

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Gloria Bornstein (Born New York, New York, 1937)

Born New York, New York, 1937

The Bachelor Grinds His Chocolate Himself, 1988
Monoprint
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Mia McEldowney, 2004.33.3

The primary reference for Gloria Bornstein’s The Bachelor Grinds His
Chocolate Himself is the monumental construction The Bride Stripped Bare
by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass) by Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968).
Although intentionally enigmatic, Duchamp’s work is often understood as
depicting the never-ending sexual struggle between the bride (as
represented in the top register) and her male suitors below. Bornstein,
responding to Duchamp’s male perspective, created an image in which
Duchamp’s bachelor is rejected by his bride and must fend for himself.

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Marcel Duchamp (France, 1887–1968)

The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass), 1915–23
Oil, varnish, lead foil, lead wire, and dust on two glass panels; 109 ¼ x 69 ¼
inches
Philadelphia Museum of Art

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Marcel Duchamp (France, 1887–1968)

Chocolate Grinder No.1, 1913
Oil on canvas; 24 ¼ x 25 ¼ inches
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Jana Brevick (Born Ogden, Utah, 1970)

Running, 2000
Sterling silver
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of the Sandra Crowder Estate, 2007.41.2

Jana Brevick frequently incorporates humor into her jewelry. In this

neckpiece, two legs dangle freely as the wearer moves. This kind of random
movement is gently amusing and somewhat illogical, in opposition to the
regular, purposeful movement of a runner’s legs. Running also plays with
scale and logic by dangling two miniature disembodied legs directly beneath
an actual human head.

Salvador Dalí (Born Figueras, Spain, 1904; Died Figueras, Spain, 1989)
The Song of Songs of King Solomon, 1971
Portfolio of 12 etchings with stencil, gold dust, and gilding, No. 10 from an
edition of 50
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Ann and James Wiborg, 2007.53.1-14

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

The artist Salvador Dalí painted what many consider the most beloved
surrealist image, The Persistence of Memory (1931). Dalí also created
surrealist sculptures, theater designs, and films. After World War II and the
detonation of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945,
Dalí’s artwork began to focus more on spiritual concerns. An increasingly
devout Roman Catholic, Dalí finished the prints for The Song of Songs of King
Solomon near the end of his artistic career. These prints are characterized by
Dalí’s masterful handling of line and color. The elongated figures and
ethereal sense of place create a mesmerizing vision of the garden setting for
the biblical verses of the Old Testament. The otherworldly treatment of the
illustrations also alludes to the traditional allegorical interpretation of the
biblical passages as human nature united with God through the workings of
the church on earth.

Salvador Dalí (Spain, 1904–1989)

The Persistence of Memory, 1931
Oil on canvas; 9 ½ x 13 inches
The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Top row (left to right)

King Solomon
The Kiss
The Shepherd
The King's Train
The Dovelike Eyes of the Bride

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

The Bridegroom Leaps upon the Mountains

Bottom row (left to right)

The Beloved Looks Forth Like a Roe
The Beloved is Fair as a Company of Horses
Thou Art Fair, My Love. . .
The Beloved Feeds Among the Lilies
The Fruits of the Valley
Return, O Shulamite

Scott Fife (Born Moscow, Idaho, 1949)

Dresser with Drapes and Landscape, 1991

Archival cardboard with Lascaux painting
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Les J. and Karen Weinstein, 2007.29

Scott Fife’s early cardboard tableaux and sculptures have a strong affinity to
film noir; notably both share an eerie, dark mood. The imagery of Dresser
with Drapes and Landscape suggests a crime scene—strong raking light,
sweeping drapery, and a knife buried deep into the wall. This kind of
psychologically unsettling scene was typical of film noir during the 1940s.
Although primarily American filmmakers embraced film noir, its origins have
been traced directly to French surrealism.

Claudia Fitch (Born Palo Alto, California, 1952)

Two Chandeliers with Milk Drops, 2003

Ceramic with glazes, oil paint, gold leaf, and brass
Tacoma Art Museum, Museum purchase with funds from John and Shari
Behnke and Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom, 2007.28

Claudia Fitch often finds inspiration directly from her dreams. The resulting
works of art convey the nonsensical order and juxtaposition of things and
people that she remembers from her dreams. In Two Chandeliers with Milk
Drops, Fitch depicts upside-down, Buddha-like figures that seep gilded drops
of milk. This unearthly scene evokes a serene sense of compassion and a
promise of security and prosperity as symbolized by the milk drops.

Nöle Giulini (Born Heidelberg, Germany, 1958)

Untitled (Mickey Mouse Organ), 1994

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Kombucha fungus, wood, thread, and myrrh resin

Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Scott and Ruth Wilson, 2006.36 A-C

In this haunting sculpture, Nöle Giulini creates a desiccated version of the

famous Disney character Mickey Mouse. Giulini establishes a morbid
psychological tension by crudely sewing pieces of dried fungus into a toy-like
object. With her creation, she obliterates the usual joyous associations given
to childhood toys and Disney characters. Instead of happy memories, the
viewer faces issues related to death and disintegration. Like the surrealists,
she emphasizes mortality and a grim vision of the passage of time.

Joseph Goldberg (Born Seattle, Washington, 1947)

Chaco, 2005
Encaustic on linen over wood
Tacoma Art Museum, Museum purchase with funds from Rebecca and
Alexander Stewart in honor of Dr. Dale Hall and Susan Russell Hall, 2006.31

For the surrealists, animals provided powerful symbols that could represent
untamed natural forces or the darker, unknown aspects of human nature. For
example, one of the preeminent surrealists Max Ernst (1891–1976) created
an alter ego named “Loplop,” represented in bird-like forms.

Northwest artists, beginning with Morris Graves, also employed the

symbolism of animals in their art. Owls, in particular, have an important
place as a symbol of the mystical power of the region’s forests. The
unnerving psychological impact of owls was tapped by the popular television
series Twin Peaks (1990–1991) that was set in Washington State. A key plot
element revolved around the revelation that “the owls are not what they
seem.”

Max Ernst (Germany, 1891–1976)

Loplop Introduces Loplop, 1930

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Oil and various materials on wood; 39 ½ x 70 ⅞ inches

Private collection

Max Ernst (Germany, 1891–1976)

Le Grande Assistant, 1967
Bronze
Private collection

Morris Graves (Born Fox Valley, Oregon, 1910; Died Loleta, California,

2001)
Chalice Holding the Stimson Mill, 1936
Oil on canvas
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Robert Ohashi, Ross Ohashi, and Arnold Ohashi,
2007.14

After a devastating studio fire in 1935, Morris Graves focused his attention on
making paintings that were overtly symbolic and reflected his concerns
about the state of the rapidly changing world. In this painting, Graves
depicted the Stimson Mill isolated in the cup of a chalice. When he painted it,
the mill, located just outside of Ballard near Seattle, was the world’s largest
producer of wooden shingles. Graves adapted surrealist symbolism to make
a powerful commentary on the negative impact of the rapid economic and
political changes in Seattle. He emphasized his point by contrasting the
factory to the purity of fallow fields.

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Blake Haygood (Born Athens, Georgia, 1966)

Easy Pop, 1999

Color drypoint
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Ben and Aileen Krohn, 2006.14.2

Blake Haygood often depicts fanciful machines that seemingly have no

discernable use or basis in rational mechanics. Like Marcel Duchamp and
other surrealist artists, Haygood relies on humor to convey a sense of futility
and helplessness in the modern world. Harkening back to Duchamp’s The
Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelor’s, Even (The Large Glass), Easy Pop
features pulleys and machine components that simply cannot function or
perform a useful task.

Jared Pappas-Kelley (Born Olympia, Washington, 1974)

Some Say She Lost Her Head, 2002

Single channel video, 2 minutes, 42 seconds, No. 3 from an edition of 15
Tacoma Art Museum, Museum purchase, 2007.11

Created from 2.5 seconds of found film footage by L. Frank Baum (author of
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), Jared Pappas-Kelley’s Some Say She Lost Her
Head offers a poignant metaphor for the ability to right oneself in the face of
unknown difficulties. Pappas-Kelley composed the melancholy soundtrack to
emphasize the tenderness of the personal task. In this short video, the actor
literally finds her own head and replaces it over and over again. The physical
impossibility of the actor’s task adds to the dream-like quality of the scene.

Anya Kivarkis (Born Chicago, Illinois, 1975)

Untitled Brooch, 2006

Fine and sterling silver, enamel auto paint
Tacoma Art Museum, Museum purchase with funds from the Ramona Solberg
Endowment Fund, 2007.17

With Untitled Brooch, Anya Kivarkis melds two symbols of taste and value, a
chandelier and an elaborate wallpaper motif. In much of Kivarkis’s jewelry,
she incorporates symbols to generate discussion about gender and
commodities in our culture. Visually, this juxtaposition of two radically
different objects has its conceptual roots in early surrealist paintings and
photomontages.

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Max Ernst (Germany, 1891–1976)

la bicyclette graminée...(The Gramineous Bicycle...), circa 1921
Gouache and ink on chromolithographic chart with ink inscription; 29 ¼ x 39
¼ inches
The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Mary Ann Peters (Born Beaumont, Texas, 1949)

in an instant…everything, 2006
Graphite powder, ink, pencil, watercolor, and gouache on polypropylene
paper
Tacoma Art Museum, Museum purchase with funds from Shari and John
Behnke, 2007.22

Mary Ann Peters creates her paintings using a method that has an affinity to
the “automatic writing” process developed by surrealist writers. These early
authors and poets attempted to tap directly into the unconscious by allowing
themselves to write freely, unbound from logic and grammar. Peters’s
painting process is similar. She builds each composition from a spontaneous
arrangement and accumulation of marks and lines, which are filtered through
her aesthetic sense and experience. In this painting, Peters explores the
possibility of understanding all of the cosmos through a single glance.

Jim Riswold (Born Seattle, Washington, 1957)

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Marie Antoinette Before, Marie Antoinette After, Coupe ici Marie

Antoinette, Marie Antoinette’s Head, 2006
Digital pigment prints, Hors commerce edition ; Printed by Phil Bard, Cirrus
Digital Imaging
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2006.12 A-D

In this suite of prints, provocateur Jim Riswold rebuts the idealization of Marie
Antoinette as a vision of power, luxury, and beauty. Like his surrealist
predecessors, Riswold harnesses the power of symbols to question authority
and rational order. The flat instructions “Coupe ici” or “Cut here” emphasize
the merciless and gruesome executions of thousands of French citizens by
guillotine during the French Revolution (1789–1799). Riswold’s deadpan
imagery is not without its gallows humor—the decapitation of dolls is a
childhood right of passage.

Bertil Vallien (Born Stockholm, Sweden, 1938)

P-28-92, 1992
Sandcast glass, silver leaf, steel stand
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Mr. James G. Shennan, Jr., 2005.40

The dream state is one of Bertil Vallien’s primary subjects. Vallien deftly
manipulates the material qualities of glass to create effects that recall the
experience of not being able to remember details from a dream. Like the
surrealists who avidly collected tribal art from Africa and cultures of the
South Pacific, Vallien has a deep interest in mythic beings from ancient
religions, and his sculptures evoke the mysticism of these cultures.

Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen (Born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1960)

Wisteria Hooded Falcon, 2005

Blown and off-hand sculptured glass
Tacoma Art Museum, Museum purchase with funds from Anne Gould
Hauberg, 2006.8

The surrealists sought to create jarring effects by juxtaposing strange,

unexpected objects to evoke a sense of imbalance and unease. In this
sculpture of a falcon and a falconer’s glove, Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen
incorporates a spray of flowers around the falconer’s wrist, mimicking the
ornate hood that covers the falcon’s head to calm the bird. Because falconry
is not a high-profile sport today, Willenbrink-Johnsen’s sculpture reads as an
unsettling vision from another era.

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 The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
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(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

Amanda Wojick (Born Rochester, New York, 1974)

Tilted Mound, 2005

Ink on paper, gesso, plastic, wallpaper, nails, plastic, foam, and paint
Tacoma Art Museum, Purchased with funds from Rebecca and Alexander
Stewart, 2005.45.2

The landscape forms created by Amanda Wojick are inspired by introspection

about ideas defining place, home, and terrain. Wojick focused on this subject
during a transitional period in her life, when she moved to Eugene, Oregon,
from the East Coast. Her imaginary landscapes mirror her feelings of being in
an unknown and unexpected place. The repeated dot and circle motifs evoke
a barren moon-like terrain that has not been explored or mapped. With Tilted
Mound, Wojick creates a sense of psychological uneasiness that was also
carefully constructed by the early surrealists.

Darren Waterston (Born Fresno, California, 1965)

Maelstrom, 2004
Oil on wood panel
Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom, 2007.47.3

Painted on Denman Island in British Columbia, Darren Waterston sought to

capture the energy and effects of a winter storm in the Pacific Northwest.
The richly colored and ambiguous background alludes to the island’s forests
and beaches at night. The brightly colored motifs suggest the continual
movement of debris caused by the rain and winds. By depicting this place
and his experience with an abstract visual vocabulary, Waterston provides
insight into his imagination and feelings.

Top row (left to right)

King Solomon
The Kiss
The Shepherd
The King's Train
The Dovelike Eyes of the Bride
The Bridegroom Leaps upon the Mountains

Bottom row (left to right)

The Beloved Looks Forth Like a Roe
The Beloved is Fair as a Company of Horses
Thou Art Fair, My Love. . .

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The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art
Museum Collection
(Sept.6, 2008 - May 10, 2009)

The Beloved Feeds Among the Lilies

The Fruits of the Valley
Return, O Shulamite

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