“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting to our vision”
– Salvador Dali
Image 1 – ‘Playhouse of Quintessence’ (1966) Michael Cheval 
When The Memory Returns Gyuri Lohmuller 
Joan Miro – ‘The birth of the world’ (1941)
Surrealism refers to a movement in literature and visual art that flourished between World War one and two. It is an artist movement that has also impacted photography, sculptures & film. Surrealism principally grew out of the earlier Dada movement which before World War 1 produced the works of anti-art that deliberately defied reason but Surrealism’s emphasis was not on negation but on positive expression. Surrealism is a style of art inspired by dreams or hidden thoughts as a means for the mind to express itself. surrealism is an important as it allows people to explore their unconscious interiors. Surreal artists such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro or Michael Cheval with many others create art by exploring the unconscious mind creating bizarre imagery across endless mediums. The deeper meaning of surrealism is focusing on creating the minds thoughts automatically when they surface. This thought process is called ‘automatism’. This mode of expression is where the uncensored recording of images & thoughts emerge into the artists mind The term was coined by poet Guilliame Apollinaire, describing ‘surreal’ to the idea of an independent reality, existing ‘beneath’ our own reality.
Over the years there are countless paintings produced of surrealism artwork such as mythical landscapes, to interesting depictions of people and animals, to obscure sculpture arrangements. It is also known that surrealism does not have a specific art style or different techniques, therefore many interpretations of surrealism can be seen in art today. This provides artists more freedom to express their creativity. Surrealists believed that they hoped that the psyche had the power to reveal the contradictions in the everyday world and spur on revolution.
The reason as to why I am choosing surrealism is because I have always been fascinated by these unnerving, dream- like landscapes because of the imagery the artists create that would be impossible to create in reality therefore advocating the poetic & revolutionary. In my opinion and understanding of surrealism art is using dreams and illogical thinking to the canvas. Like cat owning the house and humans being the pets lounging around in the house. Or maybe a a bus is sat at the bus stop waiting for the passengers to come by and the bus is on top of peoples heads. Its an illusion of irrational nonsense but in its chaos its the source of the imaginary human brain. I think surrealism would be a great topic for me to start on as I can base my own experiences into my ideas such as recent dreams or places. Surrealism would be ideal for VR as there are no limits for imagination and VR would give my art extra dimension and perspective. Dreams can by symbolic so I should be able to create a conceptual, creative meaning to my work.
References
Park West Gallery. “What Is Surrealism? How Art Illustrates the Unconscious.” Park West Gallery, 30 Nov. 2018, www.parkwestgallery.com/what-is-surrealism-art/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.
The Art Story. “Surrealism Movement Overview.” The Art Story, 21 Dec. 2011, www.theartstory.org/movement/surrealism/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.
Image 1 – Pinterest. “Michael Cheval Art – Google-Haku | Pintura Surrealista, Arte, Artista Contemporáneo.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/432838214172436608/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.
Image 2 – Pinterest. ““The Birth of the World” Joan Miró,1941 | Joan Miro Paintings, Miro Paintings, Famous Artists Paintings.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/531917405991816058/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.
Image 3 – Saatchi Art. “When the Memory Returns Painting.” Saatchi Art, www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-When-the-memory-returns/83543/4201810/view. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.
artpal. “Surreal Paintings – Gyuri Lohmuller.” ArtPal, www.artpal.com/surrealpaintings. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.
Apollo. “Joan Miró: Birth of the World.” Apollo Magazine, 15 Feb. 2019, www.apollo-magazine.com/art-diary/joan-miro-birth-of-the-world/#:~:text=In%20The%20Birth%20of%20the%20World%20%281925%29%2C%20Mir%C3%B3. Accessed 24 Oct. 2023.
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