History of the Movement

• Originated in the early 1920s

• Andre Breton began the movement in 1924 with his poem “Manifesto de surrealisme”

• Continuation of Dada

• Post WW1

Background

• Psychology was becoming more popular and was a relatively new area of study

• Sigmund Freud’s theories were reaching the public

• People were more free and uninhibited. They were pushing moral boundaries

• The horrors of World War 1 made people feel as though “progress” and “logic” failed them

Origins of Surrealism

• Development of Psychology

– Freud and Psychoanalysis

– Unconscious mind

• Challenge Rationalism and continue Dadaism

• Implement the whole truth in art

• To redefine social norms

Influences

• Dada

• Freud’s theories-psychoanalytic theory

• Post WW1 disillusionment

• Giorgio di Chirico-his works were based on free association of images without regard for logic

• The ordinary/everyday subject matter

Defining Characteristics

• Focus on dreams, unconscious, and spontaneity

• Less censorship/inhibitions

• Reveal contradictions in life

• Skill was not required

• Showing actual, absolute thought

• “Psychic automatism”-just painting/drawing whatever comes to mind

• Emphasizing ordinary/trivial subjects

• Juxtaposition

Techniques

• Automatic drawing-drawing aimlessly, without thinking

• Frottage-rubbing graphite on paper that is placed on a textured surface

• Collage

• Exquisite corpse-game where many people compose drawings on separate pieces of paper and then put them together later

Techniques (cont.)

• Decalcomania-spread thick paint on canvas, then cover with paper when wet and remove the paper-this becomes the base

• Grattage-scrape paint off canvas to reveal imprint

Automatism and Veristic Surrealism

• Two different “approaches” to Surrealism

• Automatism is based more on expression and emotion while revealing the subconscious

• Loosely structured, solely geared to produce uninhibited images that were valued for the feeling

• Veristic Surrealism was focused on analysis, subconscious revealed images that needed to be interpreted for value and meaning

Joan Miro (1893-1983)

• Known for his plain life, sense of modesty, methodical nature, and piece “jumping”, but art that was completely the opposite

• Shifted focus away from fantasy and spontaneity during the conception of pieces

• Found inspiration in novel things from the environment

• Abstract imagery and allusions, which formed fantastical images unparalleled by other surrealists

• Aspired to become a businessman, but a nervous breakdown lead him to pursue art

• He began his art career with a Fauve/Cubist style

• Joined Surrealists in 1924

• Miro’s works are characterized by precision and detail

• “Coordinated Spontaneity”

Prades, The Village- Miro (1917)

Carnival of Harlequin- Miro (1924-1925)

Dog Barking at The Moon- Miro (1926)

Rene Magritte

• Born in Belgium November 21, 1898

• Earliest paintings were Impressionistic

• Influenced by Futurism and Cubism

• Became popular in the 1960’s and he influenced pop art, minimalists, and conceptual art.

• Played around a lot with perception and depth of field.

• Main concept of his art: Mystery

• Died from Pancreatic Cancer

The Lost Jockey• 1st exhibition featured: The

Lost Jockey (1927) and he received lots of criticism, so he decided to move to Paris where he met Breton.

• Theatre set in Brussels in the early 1920’s for Theatre du Groupe Libre.

• The bibloquet on the right exists behind and in front of the right curtain.

Renoir Period

• 1943-1947

• colorful painting style

• Feelings of abandonment and alienation because Germany occupied Belgium and he had marital problems.

• “The Goad” 1943

Vache Period: (1947-48)

• Provocative/crude.

• Switch to Fauve

• Went back to surrealism.

• “The Ways and Means” (1948)

The Son of a Man- 1964

• Society wants to see more than what we literally see.

This is Not A Pipe- 1928

• The literal meaning of this painting is true because this is not a pipe you can physically pick up.

Salvador Dali (1904-1989)

• Encouraged to practice art from early age and studied at an art academy in Madrid, but did not take it seriously

• Expelled in 1926• Got involved in Dada movement during

school• Met Picasso and Miro in 1926, and was

introduced to Surrealism• Used classical techniques and painted in

the traditional style but contrasted that with weird landscapes or figures

• Lived “surreally”

Salvador Dali (cont.)

• Based a lot of paintings off his dreams, using “paranoiac critical” method (a method used to access the subconscious)

• Focused on three major themes: depicting man’s mesure of the universe, use of collage, objects charged with sexual symbolism

• Heavily influenced by Freud’s theory• Had very eccentric personality-critics said it

overshadowed his work• Kicked out of Surrealist group in 1934

The Persistence of Memory (1931)

Metamorphosis of Narcissus (1937)

Andre Breton (1896-1966)

• Studied psychiatry, friends with Freud

• Left the Dada movement, but implemented the techniques in surrealism

• Wrote Manifesto of Surrealism in 1924, when he founded the Surrealism movement

• Wrote 2nd Manifesto of Surrealism in 1930

• Helped pioneer the inclusion of culture into art

Manifesto of Surrealism (1924)

• Defined surrealism as “pure psychic automatism”

• being free from logic and reason

• In surrealism, you are exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern

Max Ernst (1891-1976)

• Taught himself how to paint• Studied psychology and joined German

military during WW1• Became a leader in Dada movement after

WW1• became involved in Surrealism in 1922 and

created the technique of frottage, grattage, and wet paint compression

• His work relied on spontaneity, juxtaposition, and subjectivity

• His works are mostly figurative but they have a great deal of abstractness to them

• Heavily influenced abstract expressionism movement

The Elephant Celebes (1921)

The Hat Makes the Man (1920)

Reactions to Surrealism

• Not well received

• People didn’t understand/misinterpreted

• Wrong/old assumptions about what art should look like and the subject matter didn’t fit Surrealism

Reactions (cont.)

• Controversy over sexism throughout the movement

• Viewed as objectifying subjects

• Freud did not agree with all the movement’s principles and noted the flaws

Impact

• Heavily influenced abstract expressionism movement as well as many postmodern movements

• Changed people’s assumptions about art-people wouldn’t dismiss a piece of art if they didn’t understand

• Changed subject matter-art didn’t have to have a definitive subject

• Made people think a bit more, made them dig below the surface to find meaning in a painting

• Popularized psychology, which was still new at the time

• Impacted literature, film, music, art, philosophy, and sociopolitical practices around the world