SURREALISM
By: Kelsey and Michael
WHAT IS SURREALISM?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art defines
surrealism as a literary movement, that began in the
late 1910s and early ‘20s, that experimented with a
new mode of expression called “automatic writing,
or automatism, which sought to release the
unbridled imagination of the subconscious.”
WHERE DID IT ALL BEGIN?
Paris 1924
Andre Breton publishes The Manifesto of
Surrealism
MANIFESTO: PART 1
Dream states exhibit qualities unrestrained by
thought and consciousness.
The simple ‘automatic’ nature of dreams may
expose things which cannot be perceived or
understood otherwise and may reveal more about
existence than other, restrained, forms of thought.
MANIFESTO: PART 2
All things occurring in a dream state seem natural because they are
automatic.
The body does not try to reason or understand while thinking
automatically.• It does however do so in the waking state and is in fact
susceptible to disorientation, or not understanding what is perceived, which suggests that the waking, logical, or conscious states of the mind are not normal and interfere with ‘true’ perception.
Non-automatic thought cannot react in a meaningful way. It can react
and its reaction can be measured in ways but it does not contribute
meaning of itself.
MANIFESTO: PART 3
In a state of automatic thought one will be content
with whatever one perceives.
What one perceives is not lacking in any way, nor
does one desire to experience more or need
anything.
Simple experience is enough for the sake of itself.
MANIFESTO: PART 4
Surrealism is then by definition the combination of
this seemingly unnatural conscious thought or dream
and seemingly natural automatic thought or reality.
One must delve into the depth of dreams and form
a combined reality of both reality and dreams.
THE IDEA BEHIND IT ALL
The poetry and works of art that came from this
time period drew inspiration from the inner
workings of the mind.
Using Freud’s idea of free association, poets and
artists produced surprising and unique works.
FREE ASSOCIATION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuMPKu1Svbs
KEY POETS
French Poets: • Louis Aragon (1897–1982, • Paul Éluard (1895–1952)• Philippe Soupault (1897–1990• All influenced by the psychological theories and
dream studies of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) and the political ideas of Karl Marx (1818–1883)
KEY VISUAL ARTISTS
German Max Ernst (1891–1976)
Frenchman André Masson (1896–1987)
Spaniard Joan Miró (1893–1983)
American Man Ray (1890–1976
MAX ERNST“La Nymphe Echo” 1990 “The Temptations of St. Anthony” 1945
ERNST
German-born Surrealist
Helped shape the emergence of Abstract Expressionism in
America post-World War II
Medium: sculpture, painting, and collage
Used surrealist art as a means of processing his experience in
World War I
Helped in the transition from surrealism to abstract
expressionism in New York, particularly inspiring Jackson Pollock.
ANDRE MASSON
“In the Tower of Sleep” 1938 “Paysage Iroquois” 1942
MASSON
French painter, draughtsman, printmaker and
stage designer
Automatic Drawing: The hand is encouraged to
move randomly around across the page, allowing
chance to take over.
Many of his works were inspired by the Spanish
Civil War
JOAN MIRÓ
“Carnival of Harlequin” 1924-1925 “Sonnens”
MAN RAY
MAN RAY
Painting, sculpture, film, prints and poetry
Worked in styles influenced by Cubism, Futurism,
Dada and Surrealism
Worked commercial and fine art
Fashion photographer.
ARTISTS INSPIRED BY SURREALISM
GIORGIO DE CHIRICO“Le Muse Inquietanti” 1918“Il Ritornante” 1918
CHIRICO
Helped form the short-lived Metaphysical Art
movement, along with the painter Carlo Carrà.
French Surrealists viewed his early works as a
precursor to surrealism but found his later works
strayed from the movement.• Disapproval of his late works shaped the
ideology of critics
PABLO PICASSO
“Marie-Therese Walter 1937”
“Guernica”
PICASSO
Invented collage
Major contributions to Symbolism
Painter, sculptor, printmaker and ceramist.
“At any one time, his work was usually
characterized by a single dominant approach, he
often moved interchangeably between different
styles - sometimes even in the same artwork.”
FRANCIS PICABIA
“Hera” 1929 “Villica Safe” 1929
PICABIA
"Papa Dada"
Principle figures of the Dada movement both in
Paris and New York
Never actually associated himself with surrealists
though his work was a combination of figurative
images and abstraction.
MARCEL DUCHAMP
DUCHAMP
Spearheaded the American Dada movement together
Picabia and Man Ray.
Challenged the very notion of what art was
Focused on mechanisms of desire and human
sexuality as well as wordplay, much like the Surrealists
Refused to be affiliated with any specific artistic
movement
WHAT HAPPENED TO SURREALISM?
The Surrealist Movement in Europe came to an end with the
onset of World War II
Breton, Dalí, Ernst, Masson, and others moved to New York
to continue their work
Movement found renewal in the United States at Peggy
Guggenheim's (1898–1979) gallery, Art of This Century, and
the Julien Levy Gallery
Later generations of artists, including Joseph Cornell (1903–
1972) and Arshile Gorky (1904–1948, transformed Surrealism
into Abstract Expressionism
DADAISM AND SURREALISM TODAY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMoSs94yfEk
WORKS CITED
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Surrealism.
N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/surr/hd_surr.ht
m>.
"Manifesto of Surrealism." Manifesto of
Surrealism. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <
http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/SurManif
esto/ManifestoOfSurrealism.htm>.
WORKS CITED CTD…
"Max Ernst Biography, Art, and Analysis of Paintings by TheArtStory."
Max Ernst Biography, Art, and Analysis of Paintings by TheArtStory. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. <http://www.theartstory.org/artist-ernst-
max.htm>.
"The Art Story.org - Your Guide to Modern Art." Pablo Picasso Biography,
Art, and Analysis of Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.theartstory.org/artist-picasso-pablo.htm>.
"The Art Story.org - Your Guide to Modern Art." Marcel Duchamp
Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.theartstory.org/artist-duchamp-marcel.htm>.