Fan Archive of Unica Zürn

Posts occasionally drawings, quotes and articles

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Unica Zürn (1916-1970) was a surrealist visual artist and writer. Born in Grunewald, Berlin, she died in 1970 by suicide in Paris. She was the muse of Hans Bellmer (1902-1975), who is burried beside her at Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Zürn is known for her china ink drawings and her books such as "Dark Spring", "The Trumpets of Jericho", "The House of Illness" and "The Man of Jasmine".

This account is dedicated to her books, drawings and other information one can find about her. Enjoy your stay.

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Untitled (1961), Unica Zürn.

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Notes of an Anemic (1957/1958), Unica Zürn

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Untitled (1960), Unica Zürn.

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"Nowadays when the object of my longings and privations approaches, when he

is suddenly present, I tend to be embarrassed, wish he would go away, may the

Devil take him — but at any rate

back to the place where until that day

my longing had tried so gently to explore it.

And this is my inner contradiction — my disbelief."

Excerpt from "The Whiteness With The Red Spot", Unica Zürn. Trans: Malcom Green.

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Untitled (1961), Unica Zürn. Signed "St. Anne, Dec. 61"

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ONCE UPON A TIME A SMALL

Once upon a time a small warm iron was alone. No Noise, no wine let in. Lightly at the sea ran, while no Ice was, thrush-pink in a See-egg. All wink: tear like all seeds. Sink in, watergerm, no, alone – in a pillow. All warmth once upon a time’s a mall.

Anagram poetry by Unica Zürn, Montpellier, 1955. Trans: Pierre Joris.

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Untitled (circa 1960), Unica Zürn.

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IN THE DUST OF THIS LIFE

Pale sieves a tired Ax in the tree’s bosom. In the foliage’s broom there is Seed-blood-silk. Bites in the lovenest of the building. Sweetly fogs in its ice-bath the Ibis’s blood. Masses in the dust of this life.

Anagram poetry by Unica Zürn, Montpellier, 1955. Trans: Pierre Joris.

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Untitled (1963), Unica Zürn

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Hello, this post is the last one queued in this blog, and it may be the last for a while.

I do not plan on abandoning this blog. It's entering a small hiatus for personal reasons.

The posts will no longer be daily, but occasional.

I felt reblogging the same posts over and over again could get tiring, and I want to actually make thoughtful posts here.

Hope you understand! I'm very happy Unica Zürn interests so many of you.

I hope I find a way of schedueling posts for once every two days, maybe. Who knows! I'll see what I'll do. My plan was never daily posts, anyways.

Hope you all have a great year! Let's see what other things I'll find from Unica Zürn to share.

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"Portrait of an Insinuation" (1958), Unica Zürn.

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Untitled (1963), Unica Zürn

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"'Perhaps you were already mad as a child,' said the red-head. 'Why are you here actually?' 'Oh...' she says, mysteriously, 'I heard a famous poet reciting a poem in my belly.' The other two look at her pityingly – they doubt her sanity."

"The Man of Jasmine", Unica Zürn. Trans: Malcom Green.

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"Untitled" (1966), Unica Zürn.

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"Longing! Perhaps the most powerful dynamo that inspires one's work."

"The Man of Jasmine", Unica Zürn. Trans: Malcolm Green.

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"What am I to make of my fortune when I have made myself so at home with my misfortune? At the same time I wish myself dead – to die together with my fortune. And that is my egotism."

Excerpt from "The Whiteness With The Red Spot", Unica Zürn. Trans: Malcom Green.