Leonora, la maga y la maestra

Inspired by Leonora Carrington’s writings and artworks. Part of the Surrealist Cycle (2017 – present).

Director’s Note (Current)

Double Edge’s Latin American Cycle began with outdoor performance Spectacles weaving the history of Argentine military dictatorship with its incredible dance, music and literary magic realism. Yet as the 2016 election approached, and so much misogyny continued to be laid bare, I realized that I could not make any more performances without a woman as a central figure.

Discovering the 20th-century writer, painter, and sculptor of the Surrealist circle Leonora Carrington, someone who remains all too embedded in the hidden territories of our cultural landscape, is no less than a revelation — of an artistic partner, mentor, guide, and inspiration. As her work took hold on our research, we learned that she also was a guide to many artists and filmmakers who sought Carrington’s artistic mentorship.

Her unique imagination, accompanied by her fantastically committed process of creation, was an inspiration to many. The encounter in our performance between Leonora and Adán (everyman) portrays the magic, mystery, and humanity found in Carrington’s work, yet the way it is painted and imagined is without doubt mine and the ensemble’s own invention.

In the dark shadow of the 2024 election, I am grateful to live in and share Leonora’s courageous world, one in which personal struggle can be acknowledged and transformed into artistic light.

— Stacy Klein, Director

About Leonora Carrington

Note from Susan Aberth, PhD — Leonora Carrington Expert and the Edith C. Blum Professor in the Art History at Bard College

Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) was one of the most remarkable artists of the twentieth century who is only now receiving the attention she deserves. Painter, sculptor, playwright, printmaker, costume designer, and fiction writer, this multi-talented artist left behind a remarkable body of work that has been the subject of exhibitions and books worldwide.

Born in England, during the 1930s she became part of the Surrealist circle in France where she was forced into exile, like so many other surrealist artists, because of World War II. In 1943 she moved permanently to Mexico where she remained until her death, raising a family and becoming an important part of that country’s cultural life.

Her work deals with global myths and esoteric teachings ranging from Tibetan Buddhism to the Kabbalah, alchemy, Celtic magic, and Goddess Worship. As an early and ardent feminist, she sought to reclaim women’s central role in these spiritual traditions. Likewise, she was a pioneer in addressing speciesism and the planet’s impending ecological disaster.

Leonora, la maga y la maestra is available for touring in several different formats, including full scale and other variations.

Watch the PEAK HD / ALL ARTS performance online (Streaming is only available in the USA).

For Morgan Jenness, of blessed memory, with love always.