2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. • 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”
15. 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
16. 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.
17. Renoir Period
• 1943-1947
• colorful painting style
• Feelings of
abandonment and
alienation because
Germany occupied
Belgium and he had
marital problems.
• “The Goad” 1943
18. Vache Period: (1947-48)
• Provocative/crude.
• Switch to Fauve
• Went back to surrealism.
• “The Ways and Means”
(1948)
19. The Son of a Man- 1964
• Society wants to
see more than
what we literally
see.
20. 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.
21. 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”
22. 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
25. 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
26. 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
27. 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
30. 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
31. 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
32. 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
