Surrealism in Exile and the Beginning of the New York School
The advent of Nazism in Germany and the subsequent fall of France at the start of World War II began an exodus of the European intelligentsia to North America. The surrealists-including Andre Breton, Max Ernst, Andre Masson, Yves Tanguy, and many others-were a major component of this flight. A critic, independent curator, and an instructor at Parsons School of Design, Sawin weaves together the varied stories of the individual members of this increasingly loose group of artists. Of even greater value, she carefully documents their interaction with, and influence on, the young American artists-Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and others-who would form the core of Abstract Expressionism (the New York School). This excellent account of this neglected chapter in Surrealism's history is highly recommended for all academic libraries and larger public collections. [For a new biography of Breton, see Mark Polizzotti's Revolution of the Mind, p. 74.-Ed.]-Martin R. Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, D.--Martin R. Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DCCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.