By: Nat Ceger
On view until the 23rd of July, the drawings of German-born painter and author Unica Zürn have brought in a season of “Dark Spring” to the Drawing Center. Best known as a follower of the Surrealists, Zürn clearly marks their influence in the fanciful, dreamlike works on display. Her personal touch, however, lends a fragile, delicate beauty to the drawings that is strangely enhanced by their dark undertones.
The exhibition is named for Zürn's last completed novel, Dunkler Frühling, which chronicles the sexual awakening and mental illness of a young woman. The autobiographical content of the story suggests that these major events were rooted in Zürn's longing for an absent but idealized father, in keeping with the Freudian theory that was immensely popular with the Surrealists. Freud's interpretation of dreams, in particular, is useful in decoding Zürn's drawings. Many of the depictions, like Untitled (1961), combine parts of humans, birds, fish and felines, which may have been inspired by her father's collection of African objects; according to Freud, the impossible melding of figures and objects is born of suppressed desires.
None of the drawings are overtly erotic, although it is hinted at in the sensual handling of line and curve. The works are a clever veil, with their decorative lacework distracting the eye from any hidden meaning. The details are truly fantastic, with some pieces drawn in darker than others to create a rippling effect that is both dynamic and unsettling. The eyes are often highlighted within the drawings, perhaps as windows to the soul that hint at a secret inner life. A few of the drawings, for example Untitled (c. 1961), make use of color, mostly shades of red that hint at violence, an abundance of life, and love.
In 1953, Zürn met artist Hans Bellmer and she described her feelings for him as “mad love” from the beginning. She moved with him to Paris, and became the inspiration for his work. Some of her artistic collaborations with Bellmer are on display at the Drawing Center, allowing a glimpse into their unusual relationship. Several photographs depict Zürn's naked body tightly bound in ropes, evoking a distorted close-up view of her drawings. Descriptions of the photographs relate the pleasure that she derived from the ropes pressing into her skin, revealing a darker aspect to the latent sexuality of her work. Even so, her desire is not without romance; Untitled (1961) shows a combination of a masculine and a more feminine face, illustrating a wish for lovers to be as one, together forever.
The majority of the drawings in this exhibition were created during the time that Zürn struggled with bouts of depression and her ongoing treatment for schizophrenia, thought to have been triggered by artistic experimentation with drugs. Her relationship with Bellmer also grew increasingly difficult due to his fits of jealousy, and, later, a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. Judging by the ethereal beauty of the drawings, I would like to think that art-making brought her some measure of peace. At the very least, it has left us to weave together the remnants of a story both disturbing and fascinating. Go to the Drawing Center and pay your respects to the life of Unica Zürn – one way or another, she deserves the recognition.
“Dark Spring” at the Drawing Center runs through July 23rd.
The Drawing Center
35 Wooster Street, between Broome and Grand
Take the N, R or W trains to
Museum hours: Tues-Sat, 10 am-6 pm
Gallery website: www.drawingcenter.org
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