Surrealism Flashcards
Background
Many Dad artists went on to be surrealists. André Breton, who was the leader of the surrealists felt that Dada was too absurd and destructive. He felt they needed a more positive action. This led to Breton’s first surrealist manifesto.
Who ran the surrealists
André Breton: known as the pope of surrealism.
What kind of art did surrealists want to make
They wanted to make an art based on irrational chance.
Who chose the name ‘surrealism’ and what does it mean
Breton chose it and it means beyond/ above reality. He chose it to describe spontaneous writing.
What is surrealism according to Breton
The art born from subconsciousness.
What belief does surrealism res on
It rests on the belief that the superior reality of certain forms of association, the omnipotence of the dream, and the disinterested play of thought
What is exquisite cadavers
Game of the surrealists where a paper was folded into four parts, the first person would draw the head and the next person would draw a torso and so on without seeing the part drawn before yours.
Where did the name ‘exquisite cadaver’ come from
The phrase “the exquisite corpse will drink the new wine”
Influences on surrealism
Artists that explored the world of dreams, fantasy and imagination
De Chirico
Art of children, naïve art and the art of the mentally ill
Modern psychology
Which artists influenced surrealism
Hironimus Bosch, Henry Fuseli, Goya and Symbolist artists
How did De Chirico
Was a forerunner of surrealism with his portrayal of uninhabited cities with undertones of shock, fantasy and strangeness
How was surrealism influenced by the art of children, the mentally ill and naïve art
This art was created in a subconscious way
How did modern psychology influence surrealism
Modern psychology claims that reason and logical though are only a superstructure of human thought. Man possesses a depth that reason cannot penetrate: the subconscious. The importance of subconsciousness was developed through the theories and psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud.
What did Freud say about conscious and subconscious thought
That the conscious is only a tiny but compared to the rest. All human activities are influenced by the subconscious. He made it clear to surrealists that the subconscious instincts and dreams are an integral part of humans. He said that certain experiences, usually negative ones, are forced into the subconscious leading to complexes. He also explored themes like the role of sexuality and how childhood sexuality affects later adult behaviour.
Who was Freud’s pupil
C.J. Jung
What did Jung say
He claimed that people share a collective unconscious. Surrealists believed that if they used the subconscious as a basis for creation, they would be communicating with all people in a subconscious way. He wrote about the importance of the dream world and how symbols can help us understand ourselves. Surrealists use this to help themselves, not others.
Characteristics of surrealism
Rule of illogical
Exploraton of subconscious
Importance of the dream world
Derived their art from subconscious
Most common themes are to do with sexuality, violence and death
Man’s sexual fanaticises appear in dream images. They often used symbols with sexual connotations: fruit- female, column- male
They wanted to escape and conquer the chaos of their times using a power that is higher than reality
It was a view of life and a state of mind.
What are the two tendencies of surrealism
Automatism and the dream world
Automatism
Surrealist term for Freud’s technique of free association. It this tendency a new form of art was developed. It is characterised by organic, biomorphic and amoeba-like shapes. The subconscious mind creates colours, lines and shapes in a hypnotic condition. Creativity is automatic and the use of chance is more important than rational thought
What were some techniques used to release the subconscious mind
Frottage
Decalcomania
Automatic handwriting
Mixtures of oil water and paint which created spontaneous effects
Frottage
Placing a piece of paper on a textures surface and rubbing over it with a pencil and then using it to inspire an artwork
Decalcomania
Black paint spread of a sheet of paper, and another sheet is pressed down lightly on top and then carefully removed. Resultant effects were used to develop an artwork
Automatic handwriting
The artist starts to draw/ doodle without any idea and the identifies symbols and figures in the drawing.
Who was John Miro
Spanish surrealist artist
Dream world
figurative and illusionistic paintings convince the viewer of the reality of the subconscious mind. Dream images were created by painting recognisable scenes in a detailed, realistic was and then placing them in completely illogical situations. Detailed artworks. Fine brushstrokes. Surface is smooth. The illusions of space and depth are realistically portrayed. Colour is super-real: it is luminous and dream-like
Who was Salvador Dali
Spanish-born surrealist painter. He was a very skilled draughtsman for his dream-like paintings. He was also involved in film, sculpture and photography. He is also remembered for his eccentric and outrageous behaviour
Why is Dali one of the most remembered surrealists
Because of his exhibitionist behaviour. He wore extraordinary clothing, grew and waxed an outrageous moustache and he did things like giving a lecture with one foot in a bowl of donkey milk.
Who was Magritte
Belgian surrealist artist. His work challenges the viewers perspective of reality with his witty and thought provoking images. He blends together the ordinary to create a strange and disturbing scene from a nightmare.
Legacy of surrealism
Dali collaborated with a filmmaker to produce surrealist films. They were gruesome and the police had to come in and remove the people. Surrealism brought liberation to art. It introduces re subconscious and dream world as an important source of creativity. At, literature and cinema were enriched by surrealism.
