In 1935, Tanning moved to New York, where she discovered Dada and Surrealism at the Museum of Modern Art's seminal exhibition, "Fantastic Art, Dada and Surrealism", in 1936.
In 1935, Tanning moved to New York and supported herself with commercial illustrating jobs, including a fashion illustration job at Macy's. In New York she discovered Dada and Surrealism at the Museum of Modern Art's seminal exhibition, "Fantastic Art, Dada and Surrealism", in 1936.