5/29/2015

Background To Surrealism

By Emily Sigidson


Surreal art was brought about in the mid 1920's, with an idea and ability to challenge and expand upon human imagination. Surrealism has been used in many different forms including art, film and music. One of the greatest things about these types of works are their ability to surprise the viewer. They usually offer some outlandish element that ignites the attention of the viewer and allows for mind expansion.

Essentially, this type of art started from an era known as the Dada movement. Artists that painted surreal works wished to expand on poetry and really exercise the human imagination. Sigmund Freud proved one of the most impactful inspirations with his revolutionary work.

Andre Breton (a Dadaist) did a wonderful job of explaining this new form of art in his book, "Surrealist Manifesto." His main goal was to assist with the greater understanding of what surreal art was really creating. His words describe the art as a way to merge a dream and realistic state into one combined state.

Often times, people associate Salvador Dali with Surrealism. One of the most impactful of his works was "The First Days of Spring" which presents a somewhat bothersome dream state, with incredible character and a headless human.

An important thing to note is that Surrealism spanned across the globe. It was exercised in: Mexico, Europe, United States and South America. Its main vision was to promote the human mind's ability to go beyond normal visions and create alternate states by way of imagination.

These words only touch on the vast world of Surrealism. This wonderful ideal is still a popular art form today. It continues to test the abilities of the human mind and make way for a higher level of thinking. It is truly an incredible phenomenon when artwork allows us to escape from our everyday view of reality and channel an alternative state of mind.




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