The life of the British-Mexican artist Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) was just as varied and characterized by disruptions as her artistic work. The young British artist quickly established herself in the Paris Surrealist circle and took part in their famous exhibition in 1938. After the outbreak of war, she moved to Madrid. Her father had her declared incurably insane and committed to a sanatorium, where she underwent four months of shock therapy with drugs. Carrington's cousin secured her release, whereupon she fled to Lisbon, then New York and finally Mexico City, where she remained until the end of her life.
Throughout this time, Carrington was artistically active, processing personal experiences and creating outstanding surrealist works with a high recognition value. Her oeuvre spans eight decades and Carrington was always keen to break new ground and give free rein to her love of experimentation. In addition to paintings and sculptures, she created lithographs, carpets, jewelry and, for example, masks, which can be seen in the current exhibition, for a theater performance of The Tempest in 1950. Leonora Carrington: Rebel Visionary reflects the range of the artist's work. The show runs from July 12 to October 26 at Newlands House Gallery in Petworth, England.
Newlands House Gallery is located in an 18th century town house in the center of the small town of Petworth, south of London. In an area of around 7,500 m², the small exhibition space, which focuses on artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, succeeds in looking at famous figures from the art world from a different perspective and making valuable contributions to artistic reception. Examples include the exhibitions Eve Arnold – To Know About Women (2023/24) and Lee Miller & Picasso (2022/23).
