Surrealism Research

Surrealism Research

Characteristics and key influences of the movement:

Surrealism is usually various different medias, e.g. painting, sculptures, photographs, magazines and sometimes even poems, books and films. It is typically composed in ways against the norm. Surrealism pieces usually give an uneasy tone to the audience. Each of the paintings, sculptures, photos, films, magazines, poems and books have the same themes in common, for example, they all drift away from the norm and experiment with the unconscious mind, hallucinations and dreams, the overall imagination. I would describe surrealism as bizarre, fantastic and strange. Surrealism originated in Europe, Paris 1924 – 1966, however, was dispersed in later dates. The pieces are aimed to send the message of breaking down the boundaries between dreams and waking life, cultures and each other. Tactics used in surrealism vary from cultural contexts and objects and often drawings from non-western and primitive cultures. 
However, due to this it was protested against and made an anti-imperialist exhibition against racist and imperial presumptions of the 1931 Colonial Exhibition in Paris. 

Surrealists manipulate the image of objects and things. Sometimes related to dreamlike states and imagination. Taking inspiration from Freud's theory of the conscious, preconscious and unconscious and allowing the unconscious mind to have the most control over the creation of the artwork (automatism). Surrealists also used the budding films as inspiration and tactics, as it allowed the uncanny and unusual to be expressed... through dreamlike movies such as, 'The seashell and the clergyman' by Germaine Dulac and Antonin Artuad. In sculptures, found objects and collage are common as it reaches further to the audience and its something that the viewers with feel a sense of knowledge about, yet is very uncanny and disturbing to see. Somehow seeking the marvellous through the unexpected. 

Another tactic is chance operations, for example, frottage (rubbings), brulage (burning of photographic negatives) and decalcomania, a technique of pressing together paint between sheets of paper. This also includes how some surrrealist artists travelled on directionless walks to encounter random found objects.

“Freed from the tyranny of the mundane” – Dr Robin Weinstein.

Each contain a different and unique view on objects, familiar yet strange at the same time. Surrealism artists are inspired by writers, such as, Edgar Allan Poe, hallucinations, following on from the Dada art movement in WW1, Ethos of Romanticism, fantasist Gustave Moreau, Henri Rousseau and Arnold Bocklin.

The most significant artists from the surrealism movement are: Salvador Dali – Spanish surrealist born in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain. Pablo Picasso – Spanish painter who spent most of his adult life in France. Rene Magritte – Belgian surrealist artist who became well known from witty and thought-provoking images. Frida Kahlo – Mexican painter inspired by Mexican popular culture. Max Ernst – German painter, a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and surrealism.

Cultural contexts of the movement:

Surrealist pieces are made in 1924 – 1966, during the times of WW1 and WW2. WW1 and 2 are occurring during the time in Europe. People were more focused on the war and realistic art to convey their emotions, which caused surrealism to be disliked rather than loved.

War (WW1 & 2) highly impacted art at the time, due to people being forced into exile, it caused surrealism to disperse around the world such as; New York, Mexico City and the Caribbean. It also was widely dispersed by commercial advertising around the world too.

Sigmund Freud’s theory of the conscious, pre-conscious and unconscious mind was very significant at the time, as surrealism was quite dreamlike and from artists’ unconscious mind.  Also, writers such as; Edgar Allan Poe were around, causing people to experiment with their thoughts and imagination. These highly impacted artists at the time, because it was very out of the ordinary and caused them to think deeper than what meets the eye.