Surealism, the driving force of 20th cent art movements.

Dali.

 

Surrealism:

Of all the isms of 20^th cent art Surrealism remains central. A movement that to a great extent derives it force from Sigmund Freud, not in a strictly literal way, but rather than enabling the expression of that fifty percent of our hidden consciousness. Max Ernest in his text on the meaning of surrealism rejects the clichéd suggestion that the movement merely copied pictorial dreams, rather it presents a world in which neither morality nor reason prevail, the viewer has a dynamic perception of the world hidden in the subconscious.

It is a movement that extended its tentacles into numerous artistic activities. Literature, Cinema, Theatre, Photography,.Sculpture,.and Painting. All. have felt the impact of surrealism.

                                                                   Chagall

So why has surrealisms’ influence been so profound? The obvious answer lies in the desire to create a whole new concept of art. An art no longer subjected to reason, or any moral, spiritual, or aesthetic past. The early art movements of the 20^th cent concerned themselves with problems such as colour, or geometric structure, experiments with expressionism or abstraction and so on. Only Surrealism attempted to create an artistic language of the subconscious, the random world of the imagination.A child of Dada, Surrealism did not desire to dismantle art, to create an anti-art, rather the movement sought to find an entirely new concept of art.

 

                                                             Detail. Max Ernst.

In order to build a new reality, untouched by logic the artist needed to inhabit a world free of the association of ideas. This allows the creator to peruse different direction without the limiting structure of any hard and fast rules of style. Images with illogical relationships were possible; a free association of a dream universe such as Dali’s or Magritte’s could impact on a viewer in a disturbing way.

 

                                                            Detail. Paul Delvaux.

The empty space and darkened shadows of de Chirico world moved the viewer to new levels of unknown existence. Miro and Max Ernst offered further random directions. There was no correct Surrealist style. There was no such thing, some visual artists displayed considerable academic skill, others such as Chagall preferred the world of childhood dreams. It allows the human spirit true freedom and that is what human expression is all about.

 

                                                                    de Chirio.

 

                                                                      Magritte.