Lewis Carroll and Surrealism - Mark Richards

Lewis Carroll and Surrealism

Surrealist writers and artists have been fascinated by Lewis Carroll’s works for over a century. Eileen Agar described him as a “herald of surrealism”, while André Breton refers to him as the “first teacher in the art of playing hooky” and references to the Alice books can be seen in dozens of surrealist artworks.Carroll’s influence on the Surrealists is both fascinating and indisputable. But, to what extent can we refer to Carroll himself as a “Surrealist”? A close examination of his life and works, his diaries and letters, reveal a man fascinated by dreams, differing states of consciousness and a desire to explore the absurd.

This talk will demonstrate Carroll’s influence on the Surrealists, explore the remarkable mind of the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and attempt to understand why this often misunderstood, English mathematician deserves a place in the history of Surrealism.

Bio

Mark Richards has been studying the life and works of Lewis Carroll for nearly 50 years. He is a collector, a former Chair of The Lewis Carroll Society and is currently developing the Lewis Carroll Resources website. (lewiscarrollresources.net)

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