Date of Award

12-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture

Department

Art

First Advisor

Trenton Olsen

Second Advisor

Stefanie Snider

Third Advisor

Jonathan Walz

Abstract

This paper analyzes Meret Oppenheim’s painting An Evening in the Year 1910 from 1972 and its exploration of the theme of metamorphosis and materiality. Looking at certain biographical information about the artist’s crisis period and time spent with the Surrealist group is crucial in understanding what can be discerned from viewing this work. Other works with the theme of metamorphosis within her oeuvre are studied as they provide further context for Oppenheim’s artistic philosophy and her penchant for revisiting themes repeatedly. Other works with the theme of metamorphosis are studied as they provide further context for Oppenheim’s artistic philosophy and her penchant for revisiting themes repeatedly. She frequently struck a balance between abstraction and representation, as seen in An Evening in the Year 1910, which also blends traditional concepts with innovative techniques. She often experimented and took a playful approach to materials and painted works on unconventional canvases or found objects. The titles of her works are frequently lyrical in nature, similar to her poetry, offering a closer look at the artist’s perspective. Previous scholarship on Oppenheim is focused on her object creation and involvement in the Surrealist movement. Recent articles and exhibitions have worked to correct this, but there is still an imbalance offering little information on her later career. Her interest in C.G. Jung’s theories of individuation and the unconscious are at the forefront of her attention at this time, making their way onto her paintings as she began to shape the public’s reception of her work. This paper argues that An Evening in the Year 1910 marks a significant moment in Oppenheim’s late career, where she explores transformation through her innovative use of materials.

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