What Is Surrealism? Surrealism in Painting and Literature

Discover what surrealism is and its characteristics and the mark it has left on painting and literature.

Surrealism is an artistic movement that emerged in the 1920s and is characterized by expressing irrational and dreamlike images. André Breton is considered the father of surrealism and this current aimed to overcome rationalism in art and explore the subconscious. The movement was influenced by Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theories and used collaborative techniques to create unexpected combinations in works of art.

Characteristics of surrealism

Surrealism is an artistic and literary movement that emerged in the 1920s. It is characterized by its attempt to express the actual workings of thought through psychic automatism and the suspension of the artist's control. Some characteristics of surrealism are:

1. Psychic automatism: Surrealist artists sought to express the subconscious and release their thoughts without filters or conscious control. They used techniques such as automatic drawing and automatic writing to explore their inner world without restrictions.
2. Collaboration: Surrealism fostered collaboration between artists, encouraging collective creation and the combination of diverse ideas. This is reflected in the "exquisite corpse" technique, where different participants create a work without knowing each other's contributions, resulting in surprising and unexpected combinations.
3. Influence of Sigmund Freud: The Surrealists adopted Freud's psychoanalytic theories, especially in relation to the interpretation of dreams and the meaning of everyday objects. They explored the subconscious and its repressed desires, as well as the impact of sexuality and violence on the human mind.
4. Expression of the irrational: Surrealism challenged the norms and aesthetic concerns of traditional art, seeking to represent the irrational and the absurd. Everyday objects became surrealist elements when presented in unexpected contexts or transformed into something surprising.

Surrealism has become an important artistic current in the history of art and has inspired many artists around the world. Its focus on creative freedom and exploration of the subconscious has had a lasting impact on the way art is conceived and created.

Surrealism in painting

Have you ever looked at a painting and been transported to a strange, dreamlike world? Surrealism in painting is an artistic movement that seeks to explore the subconscious mind and challenge traditional notions of reality. With its bizarre and fantastical imagery, surrealism has captivated audiences for decades and remains one of today's favorite currents.

Characteristics of surrealism in painting

In the context of painting, surrealism is characterized by the use of innovative techniques. Surrealist painters experimented with different techniques to create surreal images. Here are some of these techniques:

- Exquisite Corpse: This technique consists of several artists working together on a work without knowing the contributions of the others. Each artist puts his or her part to form a final surrealistic image.
- Decalcomania: This technique involves pressing one painted surface against another and then pulling them apart to create interesting and surprising patterns and textures.
- Frottage:This technique involves rubbing a surface with a pencil or other object to transfer textures and patterns to a paper or other surface, which creates unexpected surreal images.
- Paranoid-critical method: This technique was developed by Salvador Dalí and involves exploring the subconscious and interpreting dreams and illogical associations. Artists used this technique to create images that seem irrational, but have a meaning beyond that, a hidden meaning.

Surrealist artists such as Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Max Ernst used these techniques to explore the world of the subconscious and represent the irrational in their works. With its striking and surprising images, surrealism in painting challenged the norms and aesthetic concerns of traditional art.

Literary surrealism

Literary surrealism is an artistic and literary current that developed during the 20th century. Surrealist writers sought to question and transcend the established norms of language and reality by exploring the world of the subconscious and dreams.

Characteristics of literary surrealism

These are some of the defining characteristics of surrealism in literature:

- Automatic writing:Surrealist writers practiced automatic writing, letting their thoughts and words flow without censorship or rational control. This technique allowed them to express ideas and emotions spontaneously and freely, freeing creativity.
- Combination of unconnected images and ideas: Literary artists mixed images and ideas apparently without logical connection. They used the power of association of the subconscious to create enigmatic and surprising texts, defying logic and traditional coherence.
- Play with word and image: Writers of this stream explored the evocative power of words and images, combining them in random ways. They used metaphors, symbols and linguistic games to convey ideas and emotions in a broader and deeper way.
- Free expression of the human mind: Literary surrealism allowed for the free expression of the human mind. It sought to capture the essence of dreams, desires and the mysteries of the psyche, creating works that challenged the traditional notion of reality and reason.

Surrealist artists

The surrealist artists who stood out the most left an indelible mark on the 20th century art movement. Here are the great surrealist artists who left a lasting legacy on art and the history of the surrealist movement, influencing future generations of artists.

- André Breton was the author of the Surrealist Manifesto and promoted an art that reflected the real workings of the human mind.
- Salvador Dalí, known for his dreamlike works and unique style, became one of the most famous representatives of surrealism. His most iconic work, The Persistence of Memory, with its melting clocks, remains a symbol of the movement.
- René Magritte challenged reality and perception in the most intriguing way. His masterpiece, The Betrayal of Images, with the famous phrase "This is not a pipe," explored the power of representation and illusion.
- Jean Arp created surrealist sculptures that explored organic forms and chance. He played with shapes and materials, creating abstract works of great beauty and meaning.
- André Masson, known for his technique of psychic automatism, explored the processes and psychology of the subconscious in his paintings and drawings. His work reflects the aesthetic concern and creative freedom of the surrealist movement.

If you are passionate about surrealism, discover more about this artistic current in these links that we recommend:
- Course to learn surrealist painting.
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