Claude Cahun

The Völklingen Ironworks flooded in red light
Copyright: Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte | Oliver Dietze

Claude Cahun Autoportrait 1913 upscale

Claude Cahun Autoportrait 1913 upscale
Copyright: Claude Cahun (Autoportrait)

Born in Nantes, France, in 1894
Died in Saint Helier, Jersey, UK, in 1964

Work

Claude Cahun, Image of photomontage illustration from “Aveux non Avenus”, 1930

Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun, Image of photomontage illustration from 'Aveux non Avenus', 1930
Copyright: Victoria and Albert Museum, London

In Claude Cahun's photomontage from 1930, the view into the body reveals not organs, but a surrealistic kaleidoscope of identities and materials. Human, animal and mechanical fragments are assembled into a complex inner life. The X-ray aesthetic thus becomes a metaphor for Cahun's questioning of gender roles and social norms. As a gender-neutral artist, Cahun uses this work to examine above all the fluid self.

Web presence

www.claudecahun.net