Interview with David Hopkins for the concluding chapter of his 2021 publication 'Dark Toys - Surrealism and the Culture of Childhood (Yale Press)

Hopkins, David and McMurdo, Wendy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8568-9641 (2021) Interview with David Hopkins for the concluding chapter of his 2021 publication 'Dark Toys - Surrealism and the Culture of Childhood (Yale Press). In: Dark Toys - surrealism and the culture of childhood. Yale Press, USA, pp. 286-292. ISBN 9780300225747

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Abstract / Summary

Interview with David Hopkins for the concluding chapter of his 2021 publication 'Dark Toys - Surrealism and the Culture of Childhood (Yale Press)

Chapter title: 'Coda. The Toy's Disappearance. A Note on Wendy McMurdo for his Yale Books publication 'Dark Toys - Surrealism and the Culture of Childhood'.

NOTE: Following on from the publication of my work in Dark Toys – Surrealism and the Culture of Childhood (Hopkins, D, 2021, Yale University Press), I was invited by Professor Patricia Allmer (University of Edinburgh) and Professor Susannah Thompson (Glasgow School of Art) to participate in their newly established RSE-funded research network entitled ‘Surrealism and Scotland’. This is a collaborative project led by the University of Edinburgh, National Galleries of Scotland, and The Glasgow School of Art. The aim of the project is to develop an interdisciplinary forum for international academic and cultural exchange around the core theme of Surrealism and Scotland, a relationship characterised by complex cultural and historical connections and intersections.

Despite a rich history of exchange and intersections, and contemporary legacies expressed in work by prominent writers and artists, the connections between Surrealism and Scotland have received little critical attention. The proposed network will be a major Scotland-based contribution to world-wide cultural and intellectual focus on the upcoming centenary of Surrealism in 2024 and will also mark the 90th anniversary (in 2021) of Herbert Read’s appointment as Professor of History of Art at the University of Edinburgh.

My scholarship and the influence of surrealist aesthetics on my photographic practice will feed into the project, including the following:

1. A 90-minute informal online meeting on 27 October 2021, 3pm (hosted via Zoom) which focuses on educational institutions & contemporary art/legacies. Here, I will be presenting a 10 min presentation with a particular focus on the subject of play and the toy, exploring how my own work interconnects with Surrealist themes.

2. A 3-day Surrealism and Scotland Workshop on 23-25 March 2022, which will include Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art archive sessions. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered.

The meeting/workshop will be used to discuss future plans and possible research outputs.

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