The Shooting Gallery III 1940

Toyen made “The Shooting Gallery III” with what looks like ink on paper – it’s all in shades of grey, a landscape of tiny marks hatching out of each other. I’m thinking about the surface and what it feels like to touch. Toyen is known for their surrealist imagery that often explored themes of eroticism, isolation, and political rebellion. The way the eggs are shattered, and the human head is cracked, all contribute to this narrative. The piece sort of reminds me of other surrealists like Dorothea Tanning, who also knew how to make a stark image with subtle textures. There’s a kind of conversation here, with different artists trying to figure things out. Making art is all about this exchange, picking up on each other's cues, and pushing the dialogue further. There’s no one way to see this piece, but I think artists like Toyen open up these possibilities.