Panel Discussion: Surrealist Women Artists and Mental Illness

Overview

Surrealist orthodoxy idealized feminine madness for its supposedly unfettered access to the unconscious. At the same time, an unusually large number of surrealist women artists experienced mental illness. How did women’s experience and their work align with the romanticized vision? Panelists assess the lives and careers of Frida Kahlo, Meret Oppenheim, and Sonja Sekula, artists who suffered from trauma-related symptomatology, depression, and schizophrenia, respectively.

Panelists:

• Jenny Anger, Grinnell College Professor of Art History
• Lee Colón, Princeton University Art Museum Curatorial Research Associate
• Britt Romagna, Fordham University Doctoral Candidate, Counseling Psychology

Co-sponsored by Grinnell College Museum of Art and the Grinnell College Art History Department.

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