Unica Zürn
Encyclopedia
Unica Zürn was a German
author and painter
. She is remembered for her works of anagram
poetry
, exhibitions of automatic drawing, and her photographic collaborations with Hans Bellmer
.
, writing short stories and radio plays. In 1953 she met surrealist
painter Hans Bellmer
in Berlin
. She moved with him to Paris, becoming his partner and model.
Together with Hans Bellmer, Unica Zürn frequented surrealist circles and befriended people such as Man Ray
, André Pieyre de Mandiargues
, Henri Michaux
and Max Ernst
. From 1957 onwards she suffered from depression
and was treated at various clinics in France. One of her doctors was Gaston Ferdière, a friend of the surrealists, who was also psychiatrist to Antonin Artaud
. Her illness inspired much of her writing, above all Der Mann im Jasmin, written between 1963 and 1965.
She killed herself in 1970 by leaping from the window of the apartment she shared with Bellmer.
English translations of The Man of Jasmine and House of Illnesses available from http://www.atlaspress.co.uk
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
author and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. She is remembered for her works of anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, exhibitions of automatic drawing, and her photographic collaborations with Hans Bellmer
Hans Bellmer
Hans Bellmer was a German artist, best known for the life-sized pubescent female dolls he produced in the mid-1930s. Historians of art and photography also consider him a Surrealist photographer.-Biography:...
.
Biography
Zürn began writing after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, writing short stories and radio plays. In 1953 she met surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
painter Hans Bellmer
Hans Bellmer
Hans Bellmer was a German artist, best known for the life-sized pubescent female dolls he produced in the mid-1930s. Historians of art and photography also consider him a Surrealist photographer.-Biography:...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. She moved with him to Paris, becoming his partner and model.
Together with Hans Bellmer, Unica Zürn frequented surrealist circles and befriended people such as Man Ray
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
, André Pieyre de Mandiargues
André Pieyre de Mandiargues
André Pieyre de Mandiargues was a French writer born in Paris. He became an associate of the Surrealists and married the Italian painter Bona Tibertelli de Pisis...
, Henri Michaux
Henri Michaux
Henri Michaux was a highly idiosyncratic Belgian-born poet, writer, and painter who wrote in French. He later took French citizenship. Michaux is best known for his esoteric books written in a highly accessible style, and his body of work includes poetry, travelogues, and art criticism...
and Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
. From 1957 onwards she suffered from depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and was treated at various clinics in France. One of her doctors was Gaston Ferdière, a friend of the surrealists, who was also psychiatrist to Antonin Artaud
Antonin Artaud
Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud, more well-known as Antonin Artaud was a French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director...
. Her illness inspired much of her writing, above all Der Mann im Jasmin, written between 1963 and 1965.
She killed herself in 1970 by leaping from the window of the apartment she shared with Bellmer.
Works
- Hexentexte [The Witches' Texts] (1954)
- Dunkler Frühling [Dark Spring] (1970)
- Der Mann im Jasmin [The Man of Jasmine] (1977)
English translations of The Man of Jasmine and House of Illnesses available from http://www.atlaspress.co.uk