Surrealist Objects at MoMA with Wanda and Derek

A teacup with fur in it

 This teacup with fur in it is supposed to be the quintessential Surrealist object. The artist, Meret Oppenheim, is said to have transformed a common, utilitarian item into something "simultaneously disturbing, attractive and sexually charged."

So fine with the disturbing. I'm disturbed thinking about drinking tea out of this thing and winding up with a hairball. Anybody who has had a cat will right now be conjuring up memories of thunderous "Bootsie has a hairball" barf howls. 

If I squint I can see the "attractive." I mean, not in any sort of minimalist way, but when I picture this teacup and saucer and spoon nestled amongst golden things on an elaborate table strewn with grapes and velvet and surrounded by masked burlesque dancers covered in glitter... I mean, you can also almost get to "sexually charged."

This whole surrealist art movement rose up in the 1930s. Everybody was captivated by the same idea -- that certain objects could be magical and mystical.

Icebox Jewelry Box

I also kinda dug this Joseph Cornell contraption, entitled "Taglioni's Jewel Casket" from 1940. It has these glass "ice" cubes nestled in little compartments. While the description of this thing reads like a novel with Fabio on the cover, it reminded me mostly about the ultimate value of treasure.

Here's another Joseph Cornell assemblage:

Mostly I would be unsure how to
incorporate this object de art into a
decorating scheme.

Tom and I both had the same reaction to this artwork. We both saw it and whisper shrieked, "Sleep No More!" Definitely this little gal was a direct inspiration for that whole dark smoky forest maze of naked trees that looked just like these.