Exist Otherwise

Now available in paperback, this is the first work in English to tell the full story of Claude Cahuns art and life. It both recounts her life and analyses her complex writings and images, making them available to a wide audience. Shaws account embeds Cahuns work in the exciting milieu of Paris between the wars and follows it into the dangerous territory of the Nazi-occupied Isle of Jersey. Using letters and diaries, Shaw brings Cahuns ideas and feelings to life and contributes to our understanding of photography, Surrealism and the histories of women artists and queer culture. This book includes a full range of illustrations by Cahun and other renowned photographers, as well as writings never before translated into English. Shaws book will appeal to art and photography lovers and scholars alike.