Irish Museum of Modern Art
Distributed Art Publishing

Leonora Carrington (England 1917 – Mexico 2011) was at the centre of the Surrealist movement from 1937 when she ran away with Max Ernst. She became known for her figurative Surrealist dreamscapes filled with extraordinary and complex narratives informed by her interest in mythology, alchemy, fairy tales and the occult. 
Carrington was the archetype for a Surrealist artist: a writer, a painter, a sculptor, a weaver, a mother. During her incarceration in Spain, she experienced madness first-hand. Carrington’s Irish heritage equipped her with a knowledge of fairy tales and myths, which were central to the Surrealist ideal. 

This publication which documents her entire career, explores her work thematically rather than chronologically, themes such as metamorphosis and transformation showing a world full of hybrid, strange and disconcerting figures—creatures half-human-half-horse, elongated women, or people changing into birds. Certain works refer directly to the history or folklore of Ireland while others highlight the influence of Mexican culture in her fantastic imagery. 

Print by Marcel Meesters at
MM Artbookprinting & Repro
Bind by Van Waarden