Review by Graham Johnstone
The term ‘madness’ is woefully dated, confusing and stigmatising a variety of mental conditions affecting millions of people. However, Armed with Madness is a phrase this book’s subject wrote of herself, and so a suitably provocative title for a biography of ‘The Surreal Leonora Carrington’.
As well as offsetting the male dominance of the art canon, Carrington offers an intrinsically powerful story, her mental disorder mirrored and fuelled by Europe spinning towards World War II. So she’s a very welcome addition to SelfMadeHero’s Art Masters line.
This is the fifth collaboration between graphic novel pioneer Bryan Talbot, and wife Mary. As a former academic, Mary is well-equipped to research and assemble a life-story complicated by international travels, and perhaps unreliable accounts of a condition hardly understood. In a compact 140 pages, Ms Talbot’s account spans childhood to old age, but sensibly focusses on the most eventful decade around WWII. Husband Bryan, ‘armed’ with several decades experience visualising both reality and fantasy, seems similarly suited to this project.
The book opens, in sound biopic style, at a moment of crisis as Leonora and her hyena-hybrid avatar, are held down by nurses, as a doctor brandishes a syringe. “Why do you never behave?” asks a nurse, triggering a rewind to explore that question. Subsequent childhood scenes are unusually illuminating, highlighting Leonora’s ability to fantasise, anthropomorphise, and communicate with imagined friends. Within a few pages the reader can empathise with Leonora enough to appreciate the shock of her father’s threat to torch her hobby-horse. Further, incidents are similarly well chosen, with an early act of hunt sabotage, powerfully highlighting her (then) unconventional morality, and strength of conviction. The escalating conflict with her industrialist father fuels Leonora’s need for escape, into art, and the arms of artist (and alternative father figure) Max Ernst. His German origin causes further complications, resulting in a flight through Europe that even without Leonora’s ‘madness’ would promise a gripping biography.
Numerous highlights include a friend’s ironic critique of Carrington’s portrait of Ernst – carrying a little Leonora in a jar. This both makes one wish for more about the paintings, and suggests Mary’s background makes her stronger on the psychosocial than aesthetic aspects. Though in practice Carrington’s technique was less interesting than her imagery. Elements of this (like the aforementioned Hyena – her avatar in painting and writing) are smartly woven in.
The Talbots work together well, packing a lot into these pages. The extended scenes of Leonora’s mental illness, are realised in impressive montage spreads. Bryan’s use of tonal washes is confident. He avoids traditional ruled borders (featured image), giving even the most routine panels a feeling of dreamy disorientation. Tints add variety to near monochrome art, but vary without purpose. Full colour details sometimes add value, (a transition into a Carrington painting), but they and pastel overlays feel half-hearted. Bryan’s ink lines fall awkwardly short of either precision or expression, sometimes jarring a reader out the story. However, for most it won’t spoil the otherwise immersive visual experience.
Aspects of the writing also work less well. Mary’s efficient prose is better suited to clear narration, than dialogue, which is somewhat functional here. Captions are absent, bar a few jarring examples, while they might have usefully established dates and distinguished characters. An important scene with ‘Michel and Catherine’, may have readers flipping back for clues to how they come to be risking their lives helping Leonora. However, the resulting sense of confusion may evoke Leonora’s experience.
While a few aspects will niggle connoisseurs, as vivid introduction to a fascinating life, Armed with Madness is a great success.
