Synopses & Reviews
Though one of the most popular artists of the twentieth century, Salvador Dalandiacute; is typically seen as peripheral to the dominant practices of modernist painting. Roger Rothmanandrsquo;s Tiny Surrealism argues that this marginal position is itself a coherent response to modernism. It demonstrates how Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s practice was organized around the logic of the inconsequential by focusing on Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s identification with things that are literally tiny (ants, sewing needles, breadcrumbs, blackheads, etc.) as well as those that are metaphorically small (the trivial, the weak, the superficial, and the anachronistic). In addition to addressing the imagery of Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s paintings, Tiny Surrealism demonstrates that the logic of the small was a fundamental factor in Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s adherence to the techniques of miniaturist illusionism. Long derided as antimodernist and kitsch, Rothman demonstrates that Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s style was itself a strategy of the small aimed at subverting the dominant values of modern painting.
Tiny Surrealismand#160;does not only examine Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s pictorial work; it also probes the artistandrsquo;s many public pronouncements and private correspondences. By attending to the peculiarities of Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s technique and examining overlooked aspects of his writings, Tiny Surrealism is the first study to detail his deliberate subversion of modernist orthodoxies.
Review
andldquo;The strength of this studyandmdash;in fact, its undeniable contribution to our knowledge of Dalandiacute;andmdash;lies in its very detailed and comprehensive expositionandmdash;indeed the close and quite perceptive analysis of the andlsquo;little things,andrsquo; as they emerge in Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s early works. . . .and#160;Tiny Surrealism is a valuable contribution to a more comprehensive understanding of Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s art and aesthetics.andrdquo;andmdash;Haim Finkelstein, author ofand#160;Salvador Dalandiacute;and#39;s Art and Writing, 1927andndash;1942
Review
andldquo;Rothmanandrsquo;s book is a creative, readable, and invigorating reevaluation of the early career of Salvador Dalandiacute;, one of the most recognizable figures in twentieth century art and intellectual history, yet also one of the most vexing and misunderstood. . . . Rothmanandrsquo;s discussions of Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s texts and paintings are consistently enlightening and provocative, and the book promises to make a substantive impact in the fields of modernism and surrealism.andrdquo;andmdash;Jonathan Eburne, author ofand#160;Surrealism and the Art of Crime
Review
andquot;Undergraduates and general audiences will find distinct new approaches to the well-known but inadequately analyzed artist Dalandiacute;. Rothmanand#39;s book opens pathways to insert Dalandiacute; into the scholarly discourses surrounding modern art.andquot;andmdash;Choice
Review
"Tiny Surrealism is a solid, nuanced piece of scholarly inquiry."—Pablo Baler, Hispania Pablo Baler
Review
andldquo;Written in a lucid and readable style appropriate even for the novice student of surrealism, Tiny Surrealism excavates a different side to Dalandiacute;: that of the empathetic, stunningly perspicacious, and vulnerable man, who is always favoring the underdog. . . . Tiny Surrealism has great potential to serve as an introduction to Dalandiacute;andrsquo;s complex oeuvre.andrdquo;andmdash;Abigail Susik, Modernism/Modernity
Review
andquot;Tiny Surrealismand#160;is a solid, nuanced piece of scholarly inquiry. . . . Rothman offers a fresher perspective and a richer vocabulary to rethink Dalandiacute;and#39;s place in the surrealist universe.and#160;Tiny Surrealismand#160;successfully rescues Dalandiacute; from such unfair critical isolation and sheds overdue light on the intricacies of such a multidimensional artist.andquot;andmdash;Pablo Baler,and#160;Hispania
About the Author
Roger Rothman is a professor of art history at Bucknell University.