Automatic woman
Subtitle: the representation of woman in surrealism
By: Katharine Conley.
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Lincoln
Language: eng
Number of pages: 179
Subjects: Women in literature; Surrealism (Literature); Feminism in literature
Description: Contemporary feminist critics have often described surrealism as a misogynist movement. In Automatic Woman, Katharine Conley addresses this issue, confirming some feminist allegations while qualifying and overturning others. Through insightful analyses of works by a range of writers and artists, Conley develops a complex view of surrealist portrayals of Woman.

Conley begins with a discussion of the composite image of Woman developed by such early male surrealists as Andre Breton, Francis Picabia, and Paul Eluard. She labels that image "Automatic Woman" - a term that comprises views of Woman as provocative and revolutionary but also as a depersonalized object largely devoid of individuality and volition. This analysis largely confirms feminist critiques of surrealism.

The heart of the book, however, examines the writings of Leonora Carrington and Unica Zurn, two women in the surrealist movement whose works, Conley argues, anticipate much contemporary feminist art and theory. In concluding, Conley shows how Breton's own views on women evolved over the course of his long career, arriving at last at a position far more congenial to contemporary feminists.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-168) and index.