FALK, Naomi
The Surrender of Man

A modern-day manifesto, The Surrender of Man by Naomi Falk positions art as a concave mirror that reflects both ourselves as well as the pains and ecstasies of our multifaceted lives via aesthetics, godlessness, womanhood, gloom, art criticism, and subjectivity.

In this genre-defying memoir-in-series, Falk weaves together a rich tapestry of art and introspection, examining twenty pieces of art that have profoundly shaped her perception of herself and humanity. Each chapter fixates on a singular work—a painting, a stone, a film, a photograph—exploring both its art historical context and its personal significance. The author features a diverse range of artists, from cherished dear friends to the familiar brilliance of Louise Bourgeois, Remedios Varo, Gregory Crewdson, Wendy Red Star, or Shiva Ahmadi. The readings of the works metamorphose from pure expressions of pain to those that are emotionally vast. Interspersed throughout are fever dream fragments of narrative memoir pooled from Falk’s life with a prose style akin to Clarice Lispector or Jean Rhys.

Falk's exploration of her own relationship to both art and writing moves within and beyond the work's central question: Why does the writer continue to choose life? The Surrender of Man is a blend of memoir, philosophy, and art criticism which serves as a necessary antidote to the quotidian.  [publisher's note]

Published by Inside the Castle, 2025
Literature