SURREALISM

A 20th-century avant-garde movement in Art and Literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious

mind.

Where is all began…

• Surrealism originated in the late 1910s and early '20s as a literary movement that experimented with a new mode of expression called automatic writing, or automatism, which sought to release the unbridled imagination of the subconscious.

• Officially created in Paris in 1924 with the publication of the Manifesto of Surrealism by the poet and critic André Breton (1896–1966), Surrealism became an international intellectual and political movement. 

Influences on Surrealism:

• Surrealism was highly influenced by the psychological theories and dream studies of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)

• Surrealism draws upon the private world of the mind, traditionally restricted by reason and societal limitations, to produce surprising, unexpected imagery. 

• Has a very dream like or mystical quality to the work.

So, to recap…

• Basically, It’s important to note that Surrealism has a legitimate place in history and his much more thought behind it than just to look “trippy”.

• Surrealism is the first period in time where artists questioned not their surroundings, but everything that is within ourselves as humans. The minds capacity to dream and what we crave and desire deep within our subconscious mind.

Rene Magritte One of the most well known and famous surrealist painters of all time, yet it was not until his 50s, when he was finally able to reach some form of fame and recognition for his work. He was extremely influential in the transformation of surrealism art, to the pop art movement, with the work he created, and the distinct style which he took with the creations that he made during the course of his career. Much of the work created by Rene Magritte, takes everyday, normal objects, and he would simply rearrange the figures, and locations, forcing the viewer to take a deeper look at what was in front of them, and at what the image truly represented.

Magritte’s Background:

• Rene Magritte was born in 1898, to a wealthy manufacturer father.

• In 1912, his mother committed suicide, and at this time Rene decided to study at the Academie des Beaux-Art, which was located in Brussels.

• His early work was very reminiscent of the style by Pablo Picasso (you might have heard of him)

• His original artwork was a failure so in his despair he moved to Paris where he became friends with a Surrealist artist named Andre Brenton, after that nothing was the same.

Exquisite Corpse • Surrealist artists played a collaborative, chance-based

parlor game, typically involving four players, called Cadavre Exquis (Exquisite Corpse). Each participant would draw an image (or, on some occasions, paste an image down) on a sheet of paper, fold the paper to conceal their contribution, and pass it on to the next player for his contribution.

• Taking turns adding onto each other’s drawings and the images resulted in fantastic and strange full body figures.