Comments on: "I paint pictures which do not exist and which I would like to see."

"I paint pictures which do not exist and which I would like to see."

adamvasco — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 04:38:16 -0800

Argentine born sometime Surrealist artist Leonor Fini was a Cat lover, extraordinaire.
She depicted women exploring their own identity at a time when female identity both physically and mentally was being defined by men, once declaring:
A woman should live with two men; one more a lover and the other more a friend.
Photographed by many; showing her dressed in Cat costume or sitting with one of her numerous cats; and her art frequently figured them somewhere or other.
More photographs of her and a video. Like the rest of her work some are NSFW and some feature cats. A brief biography.

By: Forktine

Forktine — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 06:25:24 -0800

Her mask kicks ass and suggests that "crazy cat lady" should signify fear and respect, not laughter. (On a side-note, in this 1933 photo (NSFW), which shows her naked underwater, she was obviously shaving in what we would think of as a very contemporary way; these things aren't as new as some discussions would suggest.)

By: incandissonance

incandissonance — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 06:27:24 -0800

Thanks for this, very interesting. From my experience I think her declaration also holds true that "a man should live with two women one more a lover and the other more of a friend with benefits."

By: gyges

gyges — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:12:25 -0800

The Katten Kabinet museum (!) in Amsterdam, dedicated to all things feline, has a number of her pictures on exhibit right now. My visit there this spring was my first introduction to Leonor Fini, and her prints are striking to behold in person.

By: Balna Watya

Balna Watya — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:51:38 -0800

"Every man needs two women: a quiet home-maker, and a thrilling nymph." -Iris Murdoch I'm envisioning some elaborate system of interlocking love triangles that would provide these things to every man and woman. It seems like it would eat up a lot of time.

By: GallonOfAlan

GallonOfAlan — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:52:52 -0800

I bet she was high maintenance.

By: adamvasco

adamvasco — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:38:12 -0800

In 1968 (aged 61) she illustrated the "Histoire d'O." GallonofAlan does it matter? I believe she was wealthy enough to live as and how she pleased.

By: Apocryphon

Apocryphon — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:10:19 -0800

It seems like it would eat up a lot of time. Time that otherwise would have been spent on waging war!