The artist, the explorer, the „initiate”. Spiritual journeys of Maya Deren

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the life and oeuvre of Maya Deren, born Eleanora Derenowskaia (1917-1961), unquestionably – one of the most intriguing personalities of 20th century art. She was a filmmaker, film theorist, photographer, dancer and most of all – someone that might be called a radical surrealist and a creative „shamaness”. The author seeks to describe the main ideas presented in Divine Horsemen. The Living Gods of Haiti – a book that was originally published in 1953, as a result of Deren's personal research on Haitian voodoo culture.