Date of Award
2023
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Art Business
First Advisor
Eric Wolf
Second Advisor
Stephanie Jeanjean
Abstract
The artworks of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo are replete with
symbolism and evocations of the occult, formulating bodies of work that are charged with magic and mysticism. When studied within the context of their male contemporaries of the Surrealist group, it becomes apparent that this use of the occult operates as a compelling and historically based feminist strategy. Immediately stemming from the occult revival of the previous century and the issues for females presented by Surrealism, the foundations of this idea originate much earlier in the pagan traditions of antiquity and the witch hunts of the 15th through 18th centuries. This thesis explores the historical relationship between feminism and occult practice, specifically diving into its manifestation within the artworks of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo.
Recommended Citation
Dirschl, Margaret, "Manifesting Magic: Occultism and Feminism in the Art of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo" (2023). MA Theses. 157.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/stu_theses/157
Distinction
1
Included in
Fine Arts Commons, Modern Art and Architecture Commons, Other Philosophy Commons, Other Religion Commons, Women's Studies Commons