The Reading Art Book Club meets next on Wednesday, February 13, at 2:30pm in the Las Cruces Museum of Art. This month’s selection is Dada and Surrealism: A Very Short Introduction by David Hopkins.
Hopkins focuses on the many debates surrounding the avant-garde movements of Dada and Surrealism which continue to have a huge influence on cultural practice, especially in contemporary art. Such debates include the Marquis de Sade’s Surrealist deification, issues of quality, the impact of Freud, attitudes to women, and primitivism, among others.
The international nature of these movements is examined, covering Zurich, New York, Berlin, Cologne, Barcelona, Paris, and London, as well as recently discovered examples in Eastern Europe. Hopkins explores the huge range of media employed by both Dada and Surrealism (collage, painting, found objects, performance art, photography, film), whilst at the same time establishing the aesthetic differences between the movements.
The Reading Art Book Club meetings are free and open to the public. Join us even if you haven’t read the book! For more information or for details on book selections, contact Bryan Lee, Museum Curator of Education, at 575-541-2217 or blee@las-cruces.org.
The museum is located at 491 North Main Street and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from 9am to 4:30pm. For additional information, visit our website at: http://las-cruces.org/museums or call 575-541-2137.