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
