'Melusina after the scream': Surrealism and the Hybrid Bodies of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo. Issue 5 (28th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Plunkett, Tara
• Is Part Of: Bulletin of Spanish studies. Volume 95:Issue 5(2018)
• Page Start: 493
• Page End: 510
• Publication Date: 2018-05-28
• Subjects: Leonora Carrington -- Remedios Varo -- André Breton -- Surrealism -- female -- hybrid -- identity -- subjectivity -- Gilles Deleuze -- Rosi Braidotti; Spanish philology -- Periodicals; Portuguese philology -- Periodicals; Spanish literature -- Periodicals; Portuguese literature -- Periodicals; Spain -- Civilization -- Periodicals; Latin America -- Civilization -- Periodicals; Portugal -- Civilization -- Periodicals; 860.5
• DOI: 10.1080/14753820.2018.1497341
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1475-3820

Abstract

Abstract: In his 1944 text, Arcane 17, the Surrealism-founder, André Breton advocated increased political power for women, and yet invoked the hybrid body of the femme-enfant, Melusina as the image through which to articulate his vision. This paper discusses the hybridization of the female form in surrealist images and texts by Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo, to question the role of the female hybrid body within Surrealism. Deliberately transgressive, visceral depictions of beastly hybrids are contrasted with harmonious visions of metamorphosis, to show how the gendering of hybrid bodies as female relates to the artists' esoteric and exoteric depictions of human subjectivity.