Surrealism Art Definition

What is Surrealism?

Surrealism was an arts movement started in France in the early 1920s by poet Andrè Breton. Influenced heavily by Freudian psychoanalysis as well as Marxism, the movement emphasized the power and importance of the emotional mind over the rational mind. It therefore challenged the teachings of the Enlightenment, which revolutionized logic and reason as superior forms of thought. In this way, Surrealism was just as much a philosophical movement as it was an arts movement. In contrast to other historical artistic movements, Surrealism had the added layer of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory behind it, meaning that Surrealist art drew on the depths of the unconscious, as opposed to a mere surface level rejection of rational thought.

What message does Surrealism convey?

Surrealist artists depicted exaggerated and obscene subjects in their works. Their art was also meant to convey the bizarre complexities of the unconscious mind, resulting in disturbing and sometimes unsettling images. Surrealism was a way for artists to freely express the happenings of their unconscious minds without bounds, allowing for their art to then be analyzed with an added depth that had never been seen before. Aside from any discomfort Surrealist artworks may have caused for viewers, they also infused fantastical elements that were seen by some as whimsical and aesthetically pleasing. An example of this is Joan Miro’s fantastical painting “Carnival of Harlequin,” which includes dream-like subjects and shapes.

What makes an Artwork Surreal?

Automatic drawings, a key component of Surrealist art, were the specific medium through which artists explored the subconscious. Automatic drawings are drawings with no rationale; they are entirely random and created in-the-moment as an expression of the artist’s stream of consciousness. There is a full absence of control, allowing for free reign to draw whatever compels the artist in that very moment. Landscape paintings, on the other hand, were where artists explored and depicted biomorphic shapes, another key element in the Surrealism movement. The Surrealist traits of biomorphic shapes are their nearly realistic appearance upon first glance while ultimately being more abstract, inconclusive and deformed with a closer look. 

Sculpture was another key medium of the Surrealist movement; one of the most notorious Surrealist artworks is a reimagined found object. “Object” by Meret Oppenheim is a fur-lined cup-and-saucer set, containing the pelt of a gazelle on the interiors and exteriors. It was inspired by a conversation that occurred between Pablo Picasso, Meret Oppenheim and the photographer Dora Maar in a Paris cafe, where Picasso was admiring Oppenheim’s fur bracelets and said that anything could be covered in fur. Oppenheim replied with “even this cup-and-saucer,” which inspired the recreation of the found object. In the Surrealist movement, found objects were being rearranged in increasingly unusual formations, with this artwork as a prime example. As stated by the MoMA, “The work highlights the specificities of sensual pleasure: fur may delight the touch, but it repels the tongue. And a cup and spoon, of course, are made to be put in the mouth.” By evoking several senses at once, the artwork serves to confuse the viewer, playing with their unconscious desires which are often at odds with the societal expectations they are accustomed to. This is, by nature, a deeply Surrealist phenomenon. 

Surrealism Examples 

Surrealist artist Salvador Dal&‌igrave; employs the use of these shapes in one of his most recognizable paintings, “The Persistence of Memory,” which is known for its biomorphic depiction of a natural landscape as well as clocks that look like they are melting against the background. In the center of the painting, among the melting clocks, a figure lies on the ground. At first glance, it may look like an animal, but upon closer inspection the identity of this creature becomes entirely ambiguous. The painting is also based on a dream Dal&‌igrave; once had, making it a quintessential example of Surrealist art, as dreams are thought of as an expression of the unconscious mind’s “wish fulfillment,” according to Freud. 

Surrealism Art at Eden Gallery

Eden Gallery artist Angelo Accardi is a contemporary artist who incorporates Surrealist elements into his artworks. His 3D multilayered paper cuts and paintings portray random combinations of different animals–usually ostriches–among other objects, cartoons, symbols, historically famous artworks, and well known cultural figures from different time periods. The inclusion of these figures juxtaposed next to each other stirs a reaction in the viewer that evokes an uncomfortable feeling in the unconscious mind. He blends together real characters and fake characters, oftentimes situating them in either an otherworldly space or a very ordinary space. The scene usually feels and looks almost real, but upon closer inspection it contains fantastical elements

Surrealist art can be purchased at Eden Gallery, which has locations in major cities across the world with a host of renowned contemporary artists. Angelo Accardi Surrealist paintings and 3D paper cuts are found on the Eden Gallery website or at your nearest Eden Gallery location