21/10/2024
Back in school, when I first discovered the surrealist movement, the internet wasn't even becoming a thing and was that strange dial-up modem sound you hear in films of the early 2000s. I learned about Dali, Max Ernst, Louis Buñuel, Cocteau and others through books (could I ever imagine one day seeing their works in a large exhibit at Centre Pompidou?). There were no female artists vividly participating in all these crazy adventures my favourite surrealists had in my books. At that time, I didn't even question why; it was obvious to me that being an artist and creating authentic, meaningful work was considered a male profession. I remember I was mesmerised when I saw Lee Miller in Cocteau's film "The Blood of a Poet" (it was a VHS, and it was a few years before I watched Bertolucci's "The Dreamers"), and I didn't even know her name or who she was.
Searching the bookshelves, I found nothing about her except for her mention as a muse of Man Ray (with not a word of their first project together, "Electric" in 1931). It wasn't until much later that I discovered she wasn't just a surrealist muse. She was a photographer and a war correspondent, a woman who crossed boundaries at a time when the world hardly allowed women to witness the actual war (as if all women were expected to be saved from it on some magical island inhabited by unicorns, with Vogue magazines growing on trees).
I have always admired Lee and even have her portrait on my wall (the famous picture of her in Hitler's bath, a gift from a dear friend of mine). Today, I stumbled upon a video with the most heartwarming narration about Lee Miller. It moved me, and I couldn't resist sharing it (unlike the film "Lee" starring Kate Winslet (and I admire both her and the artist it's about), which was a huge disappointment): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ17yAbew58
We've come a long way. Today, these women and their contributions are finally recognised and celebrated. I can't thank enough the remarkable individuals who continue to ensure these stories are told.
Video: Ami Farley, Lee Miller’s granddaughter, reveals the stories behind Miller’s iconic photographs, housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Lee Miller's Archives.
From fashion model to photojournalist and World War II correspondent, Lee Miller's extraordinary career produced some of the most iconic images of the 20th c...
