From April 21st- September 23, 2018 the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City will be holding an exhibition for Leonora Carrington titled Leonora Carrington Magical Tales (Cuentos Magicos).
The exhibition will include paintings from collections around the world, including the BBVA Bancomer Foundation, the personal collection of Perez Simon, and the Mexican Art Gallery. And in addition to surrealists paintings and drawings by Carrington, the show will also include other creations such as tapestries, masks, furniture and books.
All in all the show will consist of 200 works and objects.
According to exhibition's curators Stefan Van Raay and Tekre Arcq, the purpose of the show is to create a “rich dialogue between [Carrington’s] writings and paintings", and to shine a light on the most recent themes of her life before she passed away.
Folding Screens
As I mentioned above, the show will consist not only of paintings and drawings but also a number of objects created by the artist. Some of these objects include beautiful hand painting folding screens (seen below).
Hand painted folding screen by Leonora Carrington.
Hand painted folding screen by Leonora Carrington.
According to the Museum of Modern Art (Mexico City):
The folding screen is practical and at the same time a delightful work of art.
Before central heating and separate bed-, dressing-, and bathrooms were common, these screens were used to keep the heath of an open chimney fire in by screening a small space in front of the fire off or they were used to dress or undress privately behind the screen in larger rooms. In the latter case the sexual innuendo of the screen has been immortalized in endless plays, comedies, and farces.
Apparently this screen has a ‘cold’ and ‘hot’ side, perfectly fitting into the use of screens in both ways as described above. Carrington’s paintings of real and fantastic animals and hybrids on the folds of the screen are not only part of her earliest and lifelong iconography, but also a joy to behold.
Tapestries
Below are photographs of some of the handwoven tapestries that will be incorporated in the show. Although a completely different medium than many of us have become accustomed to looking at by the artist, these works are recognizably created by Leonora Carrington, often depicting her iconic creatures and beasts.
Two tapestries by Leonora Carrington.
Untitled wool tapestry, executed in 1980.
Wool tapestry titled Leo, 1975.
Beast with a Feline Head, tapestry by Leonora Carrington.
Beastia Sobre Fondo Color Aveno (Beast on Oatmeal Background), 1956 Wool Tapestry.
Other Objects
Below are photographs of other objects created by Carrington, including a small, hand painted wooden boat, a mask and more.
Object by Leonora Carrington.
Paintings
And of course the show will include the fantastic and surreal paintings and works on paper we all expect from the modern surrealist. Keep scrolling down for more photographs.
El Nigromante (The Conjurer) by Leonora Carrington, oil on canvas painting executed in 1957.
Solteronas (The Old Maids) by Leonora Carrington, 1947. From the collection of Robert and Lisa Sainsbury, Sainsbury Center for Visual Arts, East Anglia, Norwich, England.
Vas En Serio? (Are you really Serios?) by Leonora Carrington. This oil on canvas was executed in 1953.
Oxrhynchus' (Kingdom of Heaven as Pointed out by Animals), 1965 goache
Figuras Míticas (Mythical Figure, Dance II), 1954 oil and gold leaf painting.
Aves de Horca (The Gibbet Birds), 1971 watercolor on paper.
Animales (animals), oil on canvas, circa 1965.
1951 0il on wood painting titled: 'Three Women and Crows at the Table'.
1975 oil on canvas painting titled: 'Portrait of Anne Fremantle'.
Magus Zoroastro Meeting His Own Image In The Garden (El Mago Zoroastro Encuentra Su Propia Imagen En El Jardín), 1960.
Hiérophante (Pour Dauphine), 1958 oil on canvas.
