Miro's Dream
by E.J. Gold & Iven Lourie
BK022
$16.95
Drawings by E.J. Gold, poetry by Iven Lourie (commentaries by Linda Corriveau). In the French art-book tradition, poetry and drawings on facing pages. A delightful and instructive book.
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From the Introduction
At first glance, Miro’s Dream appears to be an amusing book, but upon closer examination, its real nature becomes evident. This book is provocative in the sense that it is insidious; we may begin by being charmed but then, slowly but surely, we find ourselves unexpectedly ensnared, entrapped by the insinuating ambivalence of the images, and their depth.
We will want to see more, to discover where these intriguing little characters will take us, feeling perhaps not so very removed from Alice following the White Rabbit.
We find ourselves—like Alice—intruding into unwelcome spaces, asking impertinent questions, misunderstanding what we see and hear, accidentally opening doors to worlds which have nothing in common with ours, like the French cartoon character, Philemon, who need only go through his back door, step into an elevator, open a box of cereal, or perform some apparently insignificant action to unaccountably propel himself into another dimension he never even knew existed, where all sorts of incredible things happen, where the fantastic is lord and master, but mostly where humans have no place and are not known.
Briefing Notes:
Central Theme: E.J. Gold's artistic homage to Joan Miró, inspired by the latter's challenging period in Paris and drawing parallels to his iconic Barcelona Series.
Key Ideas and Facts:
Miró's Parisian Struggles: The book delves into Miró's early years in Paris (circa 1920s), marked by financial hardship and near starvation. This experience, while difficult, is suggested to have fueled Miró's surrealistic development. Corriveau notes, "one can surmise that it had the effect of feeding his brain with a generous supply of hallucinations which in turn inspired him in his Surrealistic developments already in progress" (p.viii).
Hallucinatory Influence: Miró himself acknowledged the impact of these difficult times on his artistic vocabulary, stating, "If there's anything humorous about my painting, it has not been consciously sought... The thing I consciously seek is tension of spirit" (p. viii). This "tension of spirit," potentially born from his struggles, is reflected in the recurring motifs of stars, moons, and distorted figures in his work.
Gold's Artistic Exploration: Gold's drawings, while inspired by Miró, transcend mere imitation. He uses Miró's struggles and motifs as a springboard to explore his own artistic interpretations of the "dream" through a "Bestiary Passion Play" (p. xii).
The Bull as a Symbol: The bull, a prominent figure in both Miró's and Gold's works, holds deep symbolic meaning. It represents Spain, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle between power and fertility. Corriveau emphasizes that "The bull should be understood as a religious symbol in the tradition of mystery plays and the ancient Minoan cult" (p.xii).
Transformative Journey: The book presents a non-linear, dreamlike journey with characters in constant flux. This journey reflects the transformation of the artist (Miró and Gold) and invites the viewer to undergo a personal exploration of the self.
The Role of Humor and Dissonance: Humor, a distinguishing characteristic of Gold's style, acts as a counterpoint to the underlying seriousness and tragic elements. This dissonance, similar to the music of Darius Milhaud, contributes to the overall atmosphere of the work.
Juxtaposition of Image and Text: Iven Lourie's poems complement Gold's drawings, adding another layer of interpretation. The poems provide an emotional and symbolic context to the images, enhancing the dreamlike experience.
Significant Quotes:
"The vacillation between polarities offers us as viewers the opportunity to step outside our customary thought patterns and gain new insight into the world and into ourselves." - Linda Corriveau (p. vi)
"The lighter side of Miró's Dream is well-balanced by intimate portraits of man and beast revealing their innermost natures and their hauntingly eternal status." - Linda Corriveau (p. xi)
"The dream is a voyage of the inner self and, in this sense, is not a dream at all. It is real and yet it is best understood in symbolic terms." - Linda Corriveau (p. xii)
Conclusion:
Miró's Dream is a complex and multi-layered work that delves into the artistic and personal journeys of both Joan Miró and E.J. Gold. It is a celebration of artistic inspiration, transformation, and the enduring power of the subconscious mind. The book's exploration of universal themes, such as struggle, sacrifice, and the search for meaning, makes it a compelling and thought-provoking experience for any reader.