Remedios Varo: Letters, Dreams & Other Writings

I’m fascinated by how artists—and by extension surreal artists—handle their various creative outlets in fueling inspiration and their ways of living. Normally this is through published interviews and articles, but there’s a bit of a voyeuristic element when those collected writings have been internal and were never really meant for public consumption. I don’t think there’s any doubt about Varo’s reputation as a surrealist artist (I’d argue a household name) but looking into her written work is like opening up a portal to another dimension.

Fragments, dreams, future project ideas, correspondence, explanations of some of her paintings, and even an unpublished interview enhance the artist’s profile as a creator, someone who embraced surrealism as a lifestyle.

This volume adds depth to the whole picture, providing a human (even if left field) approach to the line between life and art, magic and grounded reality. It’s a unique perspective, showing us a more intimate side to the artist as a person, and the limitless ways creativity can add dimension to being alive and impacting the lives of others.