Dorothea Tanning

Can I introduce you to the coolest female Surrealist painter that you have probably never heard of?
Her name is Dorothea Tanning. Yes, she is still living...she is better known as being Max Ernst's last wife but it's her painting she should be recognized for. I saw a so-so lecture on her at the DePaul Art Museum this fall but found myself electrified by the images on-screen.
Her self-portrait (above) was my favorite - look how the rich textures and colors play upon the surface. Considering that Tanning was self-trained, she was remarkably deft with a paintbrush. And what visions float across her canvases!

I keep meaning to read her memoirs.