Liberated: The Radical Art and Life of Claude Cahun

by Kaz Rowe

Overview

Illustrator Kaz Rowe’s graphic biography Liberated: The Radical Art and Life of Claude Cahun, reveals how the creative and courageous Surrealist artist championed freedom at every turn, from rejecting gender norms and finding queer love to risking death to sabotage the Nazis.

At the turn of the 20th century in Nantes, France, Lucy Schwob met Suzanne Malherbe, and lightning struck. The two became partners both artistically and romantically and transformed themselves into the creative personas Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. Together, the couple embarked on a radical journey of Surrealist collaboration that would take them from conservative provincial France to the vibrancy of 1920s Paris to the oppression of Nazi-occupied Jersey during World War II, where they used art to undermine the Nazi regime.

Cahun and Moore challenged gender roles and championed freedom at a time when strict societal norms meant that the truth of their relationship had to remain secret. Featuring 10 photographs by Cahun and Moore, this graphic biography by cartoonist Kaz Rowe brings Cahun’s inspiring story to life.

“Claude Cahun lived at the crossroads of masculine and feminine, of artist and activist, of blessed and cursed by the circumstances and time period they were born into. Rowe weaves together historical photos, direct quotes, and lyrical imagery to tell the tale of this brave queer icon to great effect.” —Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer

“The ubiquity of torrid love affairs in the lives of artists has often been used to entice readers, to give us a bit of gossip to pass on after we read. In Liberated: The Radical Art and Life of Claude Cahun, Kaz Rowe presents a different kind of love story—one in which love offers freedom and the passion it ignites isn't only romantic, but something more liberating. Here love is used as an anchor for radicalization and for art, and combined, for freedom. Liberated invites us to fall in love with—and alongside—Cahun. A wonderful read.” —Isabel Quintero, author of Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide and Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781947440074
Publisher:	Getty Publications
Publication date:	09/12/2023
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	126,053
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kaz Rowe is a Chicago-based cartoonist, illustrator, and YouTuber, and was formerly located in Los Angeles.

What People are Saying About This

Brigitte Benkemoun

“This graphic biography is a wonderful tribute to Cahun’s courage, audacity, and importance to surrealism, feminism, and LGBTQ history.”

Isabel Quintero

“The ubiquity of torrid love affairs in the lives of artists has often been used to entice readers, to give us a bit of gossip to pass on after we read. In Liberated: The Radical Art and Life of Claude Cahun, Kaz Rowe presents a different kind of love story—one in which love offers freedom and the passion it ignites isn't only romantic, but something more liberating. Here love is used as an anchor for radicalization and for art, and combined, for freedom. Liberated invites us to fall in love with—and alongside—Cahun. A wonderful read.”

Jeffrey H. Jackson

“Kaz Rowe offers a beautiful and sensitive telling of a powerful story that will resonate with so many people today. The art of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore shocked viewers in their own day, but it can help heal the wounds in ours. Rowe truly brings the past to life with their vivid illustration and storytelling and is a strong voice that needs to be heard.”

Editorial Reviews

07/17/2023

In striking first-person prose, debut creator Rowe chronicles the life of French and Jewish surrealist Claude Cahun (1894–1954)—specifically the gender-fluid artist’s pursuit of autonomy while living in a society where “identity is formed... by a world of men.” Evocative b&w illustrations with lavender accents render Cahun’s experiences being raised by a mother who “struggled with her mental health and held deep-rooted antisemitism in her heart.” Quickly moving graphic novel panels detail Cahun’s adolescent years spent with their paternal grandmother, who educated Cahun about their Jewish heritage, an act that Cahun credits with influencing their chosen name. After meeting their partner Marcel Moore (1892–1972) in 1908, the two settled in Paris, where they collaborated on artistic pursuits that challenged gender binaries. Following the outbreak of WWII, the couple relocated to the island of Jersey, where they created pamphlets denouncing Hitler. Via sensitively wrought dialogue—some of which was lifted from the subject’s own writings—Rowe presents a fascinating portrayal of a figure who directly opposed external expectations and carved a place for themselves within their restrictive upbringing. Archival photos of and taken by Cahun add a historical flair to this contemporary-feeling work. Ages 13–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"I’ve fallen in love with Kaz Rowe’s YouTube essays recently and was thrilled to discover they have a graphic novel about the life of a queer artist coming out this year. The radical French artist, along with their partner Marcel Moore, used their art to undermine the Nazi regime during WWII. In Liberated, Rowe shares — and celebrates — their story."

Book Riot

The ubiquity of torrid love affairs in the lives of artists has often been used to entice readers, to give us a bit of gossip to pass on after we read. In Liberated: The Radical Art and Life of Claude Cahun, Kaz Rowe presents a different kind of love story—one in which love offers freedom and the passion it ignites isn't only romantic, but something more liberating. Here love is used as an anchor for radicalization and for art, and combined, for freedom. Liberated invites us to fall in love with—and alongside—Cahun. A wonderful read.” —Isabel Quintero, author of Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide and Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

“Kaz Rowe offers a beautiful and sensitive telling of a powerful story that will resonate with so many people today. The art of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore shocked viewers in their own day, but it can help heal the wounds in ours. Rowe truly brings the past to life with their vivid illustration and storytelling and is a strong voice that needs to be heard.”—Jeffrey H. Jackson, author of Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis

“This graphic biography is a wonderful tribute to Cahun’s courage, audacity, and importance to surrealism, feminism, and LGBTQ history.”—Brigitte Benkemoun, journalist and author of Finding Dora Maar

"An uplifting portrayal of the beauty of diversity and courage in the face of oppression . . . A powerful representation of gender diversity and queerness in history, this graphic biography serves as a reminder that LGBTQ+ folks have always existed...and that as long as there’s been oppression, there has been resistance."
—Kirkus

“Via sensitively wrought dialogue—some of which was lifted from the subjectʼs own writings—Rowe presents a fascinating portrayal of a figure who directly opposed external expectations and carved a place for themselves within their restrictive upbringing.”
—Publisher's Weekly

"I’ve fallen in love with Kaz Rowe’s YouTube essays recently and was thrilled to discover they have a graphic novel about the life of a queer artist coming out this year. The radical French artist, along with their partner Marcel Moore, used their art to undermine the Nazi regime during WWII. In Liberated, Rowe shares — and celebrates — their story."—Book Riot

From the Publisher

09/01/2023

This moody graphic novel chronicles the life, art, and anti-fascist activism of Claude Cahun, who was born as Lucy Schwob. Cahun's name change was an act of resistance on two levels, as it not only presented as masculine but was a purposeful shift to an undeniably Jewish identity. In 1920s Paris, Cahun rose to prominence as a surrealist photographer, alongside their lifelong love, Marcel Moore, also called Suzanne Malherbe. Cahun's art, peppered throughout, was known for exploring gender identity beyond the realm of social constraints. As fascism and antisemitism's grasp on Europe became increasingly aggressive in the 1930s, Cahun and Moore used art as a tool of opposition. In fact, their boldest campaign occurred on the island of Jersey during its Nazi occupation. Cahun and Moore utilized covert and innovative methods to undermine the German soldiers, though this ultimately had dire consequences for both. Rowe's dreamy gray-lavender illustrations and depictions of tempestuous water levels convey both the beauty and despair of these artists' lives. VERDICT Rowe's biography portrays a triumph of queer and Jewish resistance in the face of fascism and stands as a tribute to the love that surrounded the lives of Cahun and Moore, not just for each other but for humanity.—Ingrid Conley-Abrams

Library Journal

2023-06-08
A graphic biography of a queer Jewish writer and artist.

Born in France in 1894, a time of intense anti-Jewish sentiment, Lucy Schwob felt different—and not just for physically taking after their Jewish father’s side of the family and having an institutionalized mother. Sent to England for boarding school, Lucy got an education typically reserved for boys. When Lucy met Suzanne Malherbe, the two young people fell in love and began a lifetime of artistic collaboration. In 1914, they published a book under their new names, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. The couple used art to challenge social norms and explore gender presentation and expression. In 1937, they moved to Jersey, hoping for a quieter life, but when German troops occupied the island, they were faced with a choice: cooperate or resist. They used their writing talents to spread subversive messages and stoke discontent among the German soldiers. A powerful representation of gender diversity and queerness in history, this graphic biography serves as a reminder that LGBTQ+ folks have always existed (“Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me”) and that as long as there’s been oppression, there has been resistance. Illustrations in black, white, and periwinkle inspired by the artists’ work imbue the story with whimsy and dreaminess and cleverly incorporate photos of them and their art.

An uplifting portrayal of the beauty of diversity and courage in the face of oppression. (timeline, author’s note, bibliography, photo credits) (Graphic biography. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews