Beyond Painting : And Other Writings

German artist Max Ernst was a pioneer of the Dada and Surrealist movement. After marrying American artist Dorothea Tanning in 1946, the couple moved to Sedona, Arizona, where they lived until 1953. Initially remote and unpopulated, an artists’ colony soon took root amongst the monumental red rocks. It was in Sedona that Ernst compiled his book Beyond Painting, the definitive autobiographical document of the painter’s creative processes, enhanced with testaments by many of his friends including fellow Surrealists André Breton, Paul Éluard, and Hans Arp, as well as others such as art dealer Julien Levy, and lavishly illustrated with black and white images. Beyond Painting was the seventh volume in the “Documents of Modern Art” series edited by abstract expressionist artist Robert Motherwell and published by Wittenborn. The series introduced audiences to modern artists at a time when very few people understood their theories or work. Cover and typography by Paul Rand.