Presence Through Absence: Gender, Surrealism And The Unreal Woman

This practice-led research investigates the visual language of self-representation in art associated with Surrealism. Through engagement with techniques prevalent in Surrealist art, particularly photographic Surrealism, this research visually and theoretically elucidates recent socio-cultural, political and philosophical shifts decentering the human that influences representations of self, gender, and identity by female artists. Characterised by a cyclical, rhizomatic process, this research is grounded in lived experience and underpinned by a comprehensive analysis of the interrelated histories of Surrealism and feminism.

Feminist theoretical frameworks, incorporating psychoanalytic theory, sexuality, power dynamics, and the male gaze, have rigorously examined Surrealism’s subversion of gender roles. This examination has prompted a paradigm shift in Surrealism’s traditionally androcentric narrative, giving rise to a gender divide and establishing a gynocentric legacy of gender-subversive art associated with Surrealism. In response to certain interpretations within the revisionist discourse, this research challenges the assumption that Surrealism’s subversion of gender roles is unequivocally progressive and questions whether feminist discourse adequately addresses or contextualises the complexities of gendered self-representation associated with Surrealism.

The research explores self-representations at the height of feminism’s second wave, which engendered a paradoxical female body that straddles empowerment and objectification. The emergence of Surrealism is situated within its historical context, and consistencies are identified between the techniques and strategies adopted by its artists and those of contemporary female 'surrealist' artists. These parallels facilitate an understanding of why the female body’s presence in self-representation remains fragmented or absent, despite a century of female empowerment. This practice-led research examines the use of metaphor and symbolic surrogates, which enable complex ideas to be articulated within an acceptable framework, leading to broader connections. The methodology and framework supporting the practice-led focus of the project provide a comprehensive analysis of the research, further supported by interviews conducted with practitioners in the field.

The female body as a site of creative inquiry lies at the core of this research. The lack of contemporary contextualisation in Surrealism’s discourse, addressing the perpetuation of a dismembered self in representations by contemporary female artists, has created a gap in knowledge. This research explores the concept of absence as presence and the complexities of metaphorical self-representations. By augmenting the discourse with current themes of identity politics and inclusivity, and by drawing cross-generational connections, this practice-led approach seeks to enhance understanding of the shifting relationship between Surrealism, gendered identity representation, and the reality of women’s embodiment over the last century.