A group of AWCH members , spouses , and children enjoyed a guided tour of the TOYEN exhibit at Hamburger Kunsthalle in February . ( Photo by David Wang )
A Morning with Toyen
Exhibit highlighted how this female Czech artist pushed boundaries
What a treat ! Sixteen AWCH members both in her choice of pseudonym and her ( and a few spouses and children ) work , Toyen challenged stereotypes in her met on Sunday morning , February 6 , at art and in her life — whether it was with regard to typical gender roles or to prevail- the Hamburger Kunsthalle to view artworks from Toyen . Billed as one of the ing styles . most important female Czech artists of the twentieth century , my expectations The outstanding collection assembled were aroused but I was truthfully skeptical . The Czech artist Alfonso Mucha is well of her time . The Kunsthalle made good
clearly showed that Toyen was ahead known — but who has heard of Toyen ? Indeed , the idea for the exhibition began ist , and Cubist collections to juxtapose
use of its own Surrealist , Expression-
when the curator of the exhibition , Dr . Toyen works with ( male ) giants , such as Annabelle Görgen-Lammers , asked a similar question : Who is that woman among Klee . Both in terms of motif and tech-
Max Ernst , Wassily Kandinsky , and Paul
all those male artists in the photographs ? nique , Toyen was clearly a pioneer — pushing the limits of the times and her own creativity .
Her curiosity paid off . Dr . Görgen- Lammers joined curators in Prague and Paris to collect 300 artworks from the artist , little known today . Marie Čermínová ( 1902 – 1980 ), who from early on used the name Toyen ( from the French citoyen , or citizen ), was a well-known member of the Czechoslovakian avant-garde in the early 1920s . She later joined the Surrealist movement in Paris , where she settled after the Second World War . As reflected
One cannot agree more with the Kunsthalle ’ s own assessment : “ TOYEN ’ s images , as poetic as they are provocative , oscillate between reality and imagination , the seductive and the cryptic .” It was an inspiring morning , ending with a small discussion around lunch at the Liebermann Café . Thank you , Holly , for organizing the tour ! ( Carol H .)
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