André Masson Inside/Outside Surrealism

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Prints and Illustrated Books from the Gotlieb Gift

The prints and illustrated books of André Masson (1896 to1987) are central to an understanding of the early history of Surrealism. While his later work dealt with issues of abstraction, he never abandoned natural forms as the genesis for his mystical messages. The exhibition represents three major periods of Masson’s career: the earliest, from 1924 to the mid 1930s, when Masson developed his automatic drawing style and vocabulary of images; his American period, from the early 1940s; and his quasi-Impressionist and Eastern influences, from 1949 to 1974.

The 93 works by André Masson include prints, illustrated books, an important oil painting, an ink drawing (from the AGO collection) and a watercolour. This exhibition is accompanied by a 96-page catalogue.