Surrealism originated in the late 1910s and early ’20s as a literary movement that experimented with a new mode of expression called automatic writing, or automatism, which sought to release the unbridled imagination of the subconscious.
Officially consecrated in Paris in 1924 with the publication of the Manifesto of Surrealism by the poet and critic André Breton (1896-1966), Surrealism became an international intellectual and political movement.
Breton, a trained psychiatrist, along with French poets Louis Aragon (1897-1982), Paul Éluard (1895-1952) and Philippe Soupault (1897-1990), were influenced by the psychological theories and dream studies of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and the political ideas of Karl Marx (1818-1883).
Using Freudian methods of free association, their poetry and prose drew upon the private world of the mind, traditionally restricted by reason and societal limitations, to produce surprising, unexpected imagery.
The cerebral and irrational tenets of Surrealism find their ancestry in the clever and whimsical disregard for tradition fostered by Dadaism a decade earlier.
Surrealist poets were at first reluctant to align themselves with visual artists because they believed that the laborious processes of painting, drawing, and sculpting were at odds with the spontaneity of uninhibited expression.
However, Breton and his followers did not altogether ignore visual art.
They held high regard for artists such as Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978), Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Francis Picabia (1879-1953), and Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) because of the analytic, provocative, and erotic qualities of their work.
For example, Duchamp’s conceptually complex Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass) (1915-23; Philadelphia Museum of Art) was admired by Surrealists and is considered a precursor to the movement because of its bizarrely juxtaposed and erotically charged objects.
In 1925, Breton substantiated his support for visual expression by reproducing the works of artists such as Picasso in the journal La Révolution Surréaliste and organizing exhibitions that prominently featured painting and drawing.
The visual artists who first worked with Surrealist techniques and imagery were the German Max Ernst (1891-1976), the Frenchman André Masson (1896-1987), the Spaniard Joan Miró (1893-1983), and the American Man Ray (1890-1976).
Masson’s free-association drawings of 1924 are curving, continuous lines out of which emerge strange and symbolic figures that are products of an uninhibited mind. Breton considered Masson’s drawings akin to his automatism in poetry. Miró’s Potato of 1928 uses comparable organic forms and twisted lines to create an imaginative world of fantastic figures.
About 1937, Ernst, a former Dadaist, began to experiment with two unpredictable processes called decalcomania and grattage.
Decalcomania is the technique of pressing a sheet of paper onto a painted surface and peeling it off again, while grattage is the process of scraping pigment across a canvas that is laid on top of a textured surface.
Rene Magritte | La Reconnaissance Infinie, 1961
Ernst used a combination of these techniques in The Barbarians of 1937, a composition of sparring anthropomorphic figures in a deserted postapocalyptic landscape that exemplifies the recurrent themes of violence and annihilation found in Surrealist art.
In 1927, the Belgian artist René Magritte (1898-1967) moved from Brussels to Paris and became a leading figure in the visual Surrealist movement. Influenced by de Chirico’s paintings between 1910-1920, Magritte painted erotically explicit objects juxtaposed in dreamlike surroundings.
His work defined a split between the visual automatism fostered by Masson and Miró (and originally with words by Breton) and a new form of illusionistic Surrealism practiced by the Spaniard Salvador Dalí (1904-1989), the Belgian Paul Delvaux (1897-1994), and the French-American Yves Tanguy (1900-1955).
In The Eternally Obvious, Magritte’s artistic display of a dismembered female figure is emotionally shocking.
In The Satin Tuning Fork, Tanguy filled an illusionistic space with unidentifiable, yet sexually suggestive, objects rendered with great precision. The painting’s mysterious lighting, long shadows, deep receding space, and sense of loneliness also recall the ominous settings of de Chirico.
In 1929, Dalí moved from Spain to Paris and made his first Surrealist paintings. He expanded on Magritte’s dream imagery with his own erotically charged, hallucinatory visions. In The Accommodations of Desire of 1929, Dalí employed Freudian symbols, such as ants, to symbolize his overwhelming sexual desire.
In 1930, Breton praised Dalí’s representations of the unconscious in the Second Manifesto of Surrealism. They became the main collaborators on the review Minotaure (1933-39), a primarily Surrealist-oriented publication founded in Paris.
The organized Surrealist movement in Europe dissolved with the onset of World War II. Breton, Dalí, Ernst, Masson, and others, including the Chilean artist Matta (1911-2002), who first joined the Surrealists in 1937, left Europe for New York.
The movement found renewal in the United States at Peggy Guggenheim’s gallery, Art of This Century, and the Julien Levy Gallery.
In 1940, Breton organized the fourth International Surrealist Exhibition in Mexico City, which included the Mexicans Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and Diego Rivera (1886-1957) (although neither artist officially joined the movement).
Surrealism’s surprising imagery, deep symbolism, refined painting techniques, and disdain for convention influenced later generations of artists, including Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) and Arshile Gorky (1904-1948), the latter whose work formed a continuum between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. | James Voorhies © Department of European Paintings, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
List of Artists: Painters, Sculptors, Photographers associated with Surrealism
- Victor Nizovtsev, 1965 | Symbolism / Fantasy painter
- Kris Lewis, 1978 | Pop-Surrealist painter
- Ramiro Ramírez Cardona, 1954 | Surrealist / Realist painter
- DeAngel, 1966 | Surrealist / Hyperrealist painter
- Jean-Pierre Alaux, 1925 | Surrealist / Symbolist painter
- Johnny Palacios Hidalgo, 1970 | Surrealist / Hyperrealist painter
- Vito Campanella | Surrealist / Metaphysics painter
- Vito Campanella, 1932-2014 | Surrealist / Metaphysics painter
- René Magritte | Surrealist painter
- Eduard Zentsik, 1975 | Symbolist / Surrealist painter
- Brad Kunkle, 1978 | Surrealist painter
- Salvador Dali | Surrealist painter and sculptor
- Andrey Gorenkov / Андрей Горенков, 1969 | Surrealist painter
- Marina Podgaevskaya / Марина Подгаевская, 1963 | Ballet dancers
- Jose Roosevelt, 1958 | Surrealist painter / Illustrator
- Dorina Costras, 1967 | Surrealist Figurative painter
- Rolando Cubero, 1957 | Figurative painter
- Valeriy Belenikin / Валерий Беленикин, 1961 | Figurative painter
- Marta Dahlig, 1985 | Fantasy / Concept Illustrator
- Jim Warren, 1949 | Fantasy / Surrealist painter
- Jeanette Guichard Bunel, 1957 | Pop Art / Surrealist painter
- Andrius Kovelinas, 1958 | Surrealist painter
- Mike Worrall, 1942 | Surrealist painter
- Bruno Di Maio, 1944 | Fantasy / Figurative painter
- Pablo Neruda | The Kiss / Il Bacio / El beso
- Troy Brooks, 1972 | Pop-Surrealism painter
- Elena Vizerskaya, 1980 | Surrealist photographer
- Tomasz Alen Kopera, 1976 | Magic Surrealism painter
- Tomek Setowski, 1961 | Magic Realism painter
- Vijender Sharma, 1962 | Surrealist / Metaphysical painter
- Dragan Ilic Di Vogo, 1962 | Fantastic / Surrealist painter
- Claude Verlinde, 1927 | Fantastic Realism painter
- Miroslav Yotov, 1977 | Figurative / Surrealist painter
- Kenne Gregoire, 1951 | New realism Painter / Sculptor
- Saturno Butto, 1957 | Wine Tasting (Camilla), 2015
- Saturno Butto, 1957 | Surrealist / Hyperrealistic painter
- Juan Medina, 1950 | Surrealist / Hyperrealist painter
- Chelìn Sanjuan, 1967 | Surrealist painter
- Karol Bąk, 1961 | Fantasy / Figurative painter
- Brian McCarthy, 1960 | Magic Realism painter
- Myrtille Henrion Picco, 1952 | Neo-Surrealist painter
- Giuseppe Arcimboldo | Mannerist painter
- James R. Eads and Chris McDaniel | Illusions in gif
- Chagall / Khalil Gibran | Farò della mia anima../I will do a casket of my soul
- Silvia Pelissero, 1991 | Pop Surrealism / Watercolor painter
- Kris Kuksi, 1973 | Rococo Style / Surrealist sculptor
- Brita Seifert, 1963 | Surrealist painter
- Francis Picabia | Cubist / Dada / Surrealist painter
- Horacio Cardozo, 1968 | Hyperrealist /Surrealist painter
- Alberto Pancorbo, 1956 | Fantastic Realism painter
- Bruno Di Maio, 1944 | Surrealist Figurative painter
- Rafal Olbinski, 1945 | Surrealist / Visionary painter
- Felice Pedretti, 1961 | Metaphysical / Symbolist painter
- Ceslovas Cesnakevicius | Surrealist / Digital photographer
- Michael Cheval, 1966 | Playhouse of Quintessence
- Michael Cheval, 1966 | Absurdist / Surrealist painter
- Michael Cheval, 1966 | Absurdist / Surrealist painter | VideoArt
- Bernard Pras, 1952 | Surrealist sculptor
- Marc Chagall | Four Seasons, Chicago ,1974
- Marc Chagall | Le Cirque series
- Jungho Lee | Surrealist illustrator
- Thor Lindeneg, 1941 | Surrealist / Symbolist painter
- Marc Chagall | Quotes / Aforismi
- Yaroslav Gerzhedovich, 1970 | Surrealist / Gothic style painter
- Merab Gagiladze, 1972 | Fantasy / Surrealist painter
- Andrew Ferez / Андрей Ферез | Surrealist / Fantasy painter
- Serguei Zlenko / Сергей Зленко, 1960 | Ballet dancers
- Serguei Zlenko / Сергей Зленко, 1960 | Realist / Surrealist painter
- Isabel Miramontes, 1962 | Abstract surrealist sculptor
- Aykut Aydogdu, 1986 | Surrealist digital painter
- Bruno Mondot, 1964 | Surrealist / Trompe l’oeil painter
- George Grie / Джордж Грие, 1962 | Neo-Surrealist painter
- Pablo Neruda / Duy Huynh | Ode to the Happy Day / Ode al giorno felice
- Jaroslav Seifert / George Grie | To be a Poet / Essere Poeta, 1983
- Tomek Setowski, 1961 | Magical Realism painter ⁽²⁾
- Marco Rossati, 1943 | Metaphysical Realism painter
- Alda Merini / Marc Chagall | I do not need money / Io non ho bisogno di denaro..
- Stefano Di Stasio, 1948 | The Anacronisti group painters
- Andrey Remnev | Андрей Ремнев, 1962 | Magic Realism painter
- Jorge Marin, 1963 | Figurative sculptor
- Piero Bresciani, 1945 | Symbolist / Surrealist painter
- Kazuhiko Tanaka 田中一彦, 1947 | Stone / clay sculpture
- Marie Laure Vareilles, 1966 | Surrealist photographer
- Mary Alayne Thomas | Surrealist Fantasy painter
- Andrius Kovelinas, 1958 | Surrealist figurative painter
- Andrew Hem | Pop Surrealist painter
- Daria Petrilli, 1970 | Surrealist Illustrator
- Hernan Javier Muñoz, 1983 | Surrealist painter
- Lori Earley | Pop surrealism painter
- Frida Kahlo | You rain on me - I sky you, | Tu mi piovi - Io ti cielo, 1947
- Vytautas Laisonas, 1965 | Magic Realism painter
- Marina Podgaevskaya / Марина Подгаевская, 1963 | Abstract Figurative painter
- Alexei Antonov, 1957 | Surrealist / Still life painter
- Gigino Falconi, 1933 | Surrealist painter
- Alessandro Sicioldr, 1990 | Visionary painter
- Frida Kahlo: I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone..
- Rafal Olbinski, 1943 | Surrealist painter
- Pablo Picasso | Cubist / Surrealist painter | Part. 2
- Pablo Picasso | Cubist / Surrealist painter | Part. 1
- James R. Eads, 1989 | Surrealist Illustrator | After Van Gogh
- James R. Eads, 1989 | Surrealist Illustrator | The New-Age Van Gogh
- Pablo Picasso | Il Guernica, 1937 | Art in Detail
- Pablo Picasso | Cubist / Surrealist painter
- Dimitri Vojnov, 1946 | Symbolist / Surrealist painter
- Witali Zuk /Виталий Жук, 1973 | Fantasy Art
- Tina Cassati | Surrealist Fashion
- Rob Gonsalves, 1959 | Surrealist /Optical Illusion painter
- Victor Hugo | Symbolist /Surrealist / Abstract Expressionism painter
- Theodoros Pantaleon /Θεόδωρος Πανταλέων, 1945 | Surrealist painter
- John Currin, 1962 | Pop surrealism painter
- Marco Busoni, 1962 | Surreal figure /Plein air painter
- Nikolay Reznichenko, 1958 | Surrealist Figurative painter
- Loui Jover, 1967 | Abstract /Surrealist painter
- Salvatore Alessi, 1974 | Figurative painter
- Pakayla Biehn, 1986 | Surrealist painter
- Anne Bachelier, 1949 | Surrealist /Visionary painter | VideoArt
- Anne Bachelier, 1949 | Surrealist /Visionary painter
- Neil Simone, 1947 | Visionary Surrealist painter
- Thomas Danthony, 1988 | Surreal Spaces
- Brahim Achir, 1956 | Surrealismo Visionario
- Eric Roux-Fontaine, 1966 | Magical Realism painter
- Bruno Di Maio, 1944 | Ballet dancers
- Bruno Catalano, 1960 | Symbolist / Surrealist sculptor | Public Art
- Alex Fishgoyt | Visionary /Surrealist painter
- Pavel Tchelitchew | Abstract /Surrealist painter
- Miho Hirano /平野実穂 | Pop Fantasy Art
- Kinga Britschgi, 1963 | Surrealist painter
- Federico Infante, 1982 | Surrealist painter /Illustrator | Part 2
- Dan Quintana, 1982 | Pop Surrealism /Symbolist painter
- Federico Infante, 1982 | Surrealist painter /Illustrator
- Kelly Denato | Pop Surrealism painter
- Maria Giulia Alemanno | Magical Realism / Surrealist painter
- Roberto Fontirossi, 1940 | Surrealist /Visionary painter
- Gerrit Dou | Baroque Era painter
- Francis De Saint-Genies, 1925 | Surrealist / Symbolist Painter / Lithographer
- Victor Nizovtsev /Виктор Низовцев, 1965 | Fantasy painter
- Titti Garelli,1948 | Pop Surrealism /Gothic style painter
- Gianni De Conno, 1957 | Surrealist Illustrator
- Dario Maglionico, 1986 | Surrealist Figurative painter
- Frida Kahlo | Quotes /Aforismi
- Salvador Dali | Surrealist Newton, 1977
- Lui Liu 刘溢, 1957 | Surrealist painter
- Marc Chagall | Birthday / Il Compleanno, 1915
- Helmut Leherb | Surrealist / Fantastic Realism painter and sculptor
- Salvador Dali | Surrealist / Dadaist / Cubist painter and sculptor | Part. 3
- Salvador Dali | Surrealist / Dadaist / Cubist painter and sculptor | Part. 2
- Salvador Dali | Watercolors
- Salvador Dali | Drawing
- Christine Ellger, 1948 | Surrealist Fine Art Photographer
- Eyvind Earle | Conceptual Surrealist painter /Illustrator
- Zdislav Beksinski | Utopian Realism /Surreal architecture painter
- Mia Araujo, 1986 | Pop-Surrealism painter
- Sergey Tyukanov /Сергей Тюканов, 1955 | Surrealist painter
- Paulo Coelho /Catrin Welz-Stein ~ Quotes /Aforismi
- Patrick Gonzales, 1965 | Surrealist Digital painter
- Victor Colesnicenco, 1968 | Mixed media /Cityscape painter
- DU Kun 杜昆, 1982 ~ Revels of the Rock Gods | Surrealist painter
- Dimitra Milan, 2000 | Whimsical /Surrealist painter
- George Underwood, 1947 ~ Surrealist /Visionary painter | Part 2
- Arthur Schopenhauer / Antonio Nunziante | Quotes / Aforismi
- Salvatore Fiume | Figurative painter
- Michael Bilotta | Conceptual Surrealist Photographer
- Maggie Taylor, 1961 | Digital Surrealist /Visionary painter
- Pablo Neruda / Maggie Taylor ~ Poetry / La poesia
- Michiel Schrijver, 1957 | Surreal architecture painter
- Francis Picabia ~ Quotes / Aforismi
- George Redhawk | Surrealist Animated GIFs Art
- Leonora Carrington | Surrealist painter and sculptor | Sculpture
- Victor Brauner | Surrealist painter
- Chie Yoshii | Surrealist /Visionary painter
- John Poppleton | Bodyscapes painter
- Alan King, 1952 | Massurrealism Art Movement
- Vilhelm Bjerke Petersen ~ Surrealist /Abstract painter
- Picasso: Painting is a blind man's profession..
- Picasso's Women
- Mother Teresa /Jeanie Tomanek ~ Love life /Ama la vita
- Cristina Troufa, 1974 | Surrealist/Symbolist painter
- Madre Teresa/ Brita Seifert ~ Tieni sempre presente /Always keep in mind
- Bahram Dabiri, 1950 | Cubist/Surrealist/Romantic painter
- Giuseppe Arcimboldo | Allegories of the Elements, 1576
- Giuseppe Arcimboldo | Allegories of the Seasons, 1573
- Giuseppe Arcimboldo | Drawing
- Jimmy Lawlor, 1967 | Surrealist painter
- Anaïs Nin: L'amore non muore mai di morte naturale..
- E. L. Doctorow: Scrivere è un'esplorazione. Parti dal nulla, ed impari mentre procedi..
- Jules Combarieau: La musica è l'arte di pensare attraverso i suoni
- Picasso: Il peggior nemico della creatività è il buon gusto
- Kari-Lise Alexander | Pop Surrealism painter
- Gabriel Sainz, 1967 | Surrealist painter
- Lubov Zubova, 1979 | Surrealist painter
- Moïse Kisling ~ Surrealist painter | School of Paris
- Gustave Moreau | Symbolist painter
- David Burliuk | The Father of Russian Futurism
- Angel Boligan, 1965 | Surreal cartoonist / illustrator
- Artur Muharremi, 1958 | Allegorical painter
- Artem Cheboha Rhads, 1987 | Surrealist Digital painter
- Frida Kahlo a Diego Rivera | La mia notte | Mi Noche, 1939
- Kolja Tatic, 1962 ~ Surrealist Digital painter
- Julio Larraz, 1944 ~ Surrealist/Figurative painter
- Alberto Giacometti ~ Surrealist/Existentialist/Figure sculptor
- Andrea Kowch, 1986 ~ Symbolist painter
- Surrealist Artists ~ Sitemap
- Jeanie Tomanek, 1949 ~ Allegorical/Narrative painter
- Peter Gric, 1968 ~ Magic Realism painter
- Surreal world by Amandine Van Ray
- René Magritte ~ Gli Aforismi
- Timothy Martin | Surrealist painter
- Paul Éluard ~ Je t'aime / I love you / Ti amo
- Pierre Marcel, 1954 ~ Surrealist painter
- Oleg Oprisco, 1987 ~ Surrealist photographer
- Anna and Elena Balbusso ~ Italian Surrealist illustrator
- Gino De Dominicis
- Jacques Prévert ~ Paris at night
- Rene Schute, 1969 ~ Surrealist painter
- Jeremiah Stermer, 1946 ~ Surrealist photographer
- Paul Klee ~ L'arte è quello che c'è fra il colore e la tela
- Loren D. Adams ~ Visionary / Surrealist painter
- John Burden, 1943
- Yannick Bouchard, 1982 | Surrealist / Symbolist painter
- Ronit Baranga, 1973 | Surrealist sculptor
- Leonard Cohen | Winter Lady /Signora Inverno
- Marc Chagall ~ Aforismi
- Mariola Bogacki, 1965 | Surralist painter
- Sonia Drabkin, 1961 ~ Romantic Fantasy painter
- Mihai Criste, 1975 ~ The Kiss of Autumn
- Dario Campanile, 1948 | Abstract painter
- Paulo Coelho / Thor Lindeneg | Il gioco degli Dei...
- Anna Ewa Miarczynska, 1961 | Surrealist painter
- Victor Hugo & Picasso ~ Non guardare il volto..
- Leonid Tishkov, 1953 ~ Private Moon
- Zoltan Molnos ~ The Transylvanian Dalí
- Michail Lermontov / René Magritte | I Go Out On The Road Alone / Sulla strada esco solo.
- Juan Carlos Verdial, 1957 | Surrealist painter
- Jaroslaw Jasnikowski, 1976 | Surrealist painter
- Dino Buzzati | Symbolist /Surrealist painter
- Valentin Rekunenko, 1955 | Fantasy painter
- Rodolfo Ledel, 1939
- Giorgio De Chirico | Arte e pensiero
- Eduardo Úrculo ~ Pop Art painter
- Jacques Guignard, 1946 | French Surrealist painter
- Elena Shlegel /Елена Шлегель, 1965 | Romantic painter
- Evandro Schiavone, 1984 | Surrealist painter
- Frode Nyboe, 1980 | Surrealist /Minimalist painter
- Santos Hu, 1955 | Surrealist painter
- Vincenzo Cardarelli / Jimmy Lawlor | I gabbiani /Seagulls
- Pablo Picasso ~ The Bather series
- Vakhtang Kakulia, 1974
- Gennady Privedentsev, 1955 ~ Surrealist painter
- Tytus Brzozowski | Surrealist painter
- Michael Alfano | Figurative and surrealistic sculptures
- Noell Oszvald, 1991 ~ Surrealist photographer
- Toni Demuro, 1974 ~ Surreal memory of the Trees
- Minjae Lee, 1989 | Pop Surrealism painter
- Jim Tsinganos | Surrealist | Conceptual painter / Illustrator
- Will Cotton, 1965 | Hyperrealist / Pop Surrealist painter
- Laurie Kaplowitz | Figurative Expressive painter
- Christian Schloe | Digital Surrealist / Visionary painter
- Christian Schloe ~ Pop Surrealism Visions
- Catrin Welz-Stein ~ Surrealist Digital painter
- Koh Sang Woo, 1978 | Color Negatives photography
- Ora Tamir ~ Fly with me
- Ionut Caras, 1978 ~ Surrealist photographer
- Gurbuz Dogan Eksioglu, 1954 ~ Surrealist painter
- Georgi Matevosjan, 1948 | Surrealist painter
- Beatriz Martin Vidal, 1973 | Surrealist illustrator
- Raffaello Ossola, 1954 | Surrealist painter
- Lisete Alcalde, 1981 | Visionary painter
- Jean-Paul Avisse, 1948 | Surrealist painter
- Agostino Arrivabene, 1967 ~ Visionary Surrealist painter
- Michael Page, 1979 ~ Pop Surrealism painter
- Yosuke Ueno, 1977 ~ Pop Surrealist painter
- Jacek Yerka, 1952 ~ Sogno Surrealista
- Evita Medina | Surrealist painter
- Alexei Antonov, 1957 | Surrealist /Portrait / Still life painter
- Odilon Redon 1840-1916 ~ Still Life
- Roman Urbinskiy /Роман Урбинский, 1977
- Pablo Picasso ~ Watercolors
- Jonathan Wolstenholme, 1950 ~ The Surreal books
- Jacques Prévert & Jean Hildebrant | Bussano...
- Marc Chagall & Jean de La Fontaine ~ Favole a Colori
- Agnès Boulloche ~ Fantastic Surrealist painter
- Emilia Castañeda, 1943 | The Secret Gardens
- Dasil | Surrealist painter
- Adam Martinakis, 1972 | Surrealist Digital painter
- Emily Dickinson ~ Se tu dovessi venire in autunno /If you were coming in the Fall
- Talon Abraxas, 1980 ~ Surrealist/Symbolist painter
- Talon Abraxas, 1980 ~ Surrealist painter
- I Violini di Chagall
- Gabriel Pacheco, 1973 ~ Surrealist Visionary painter
- Pablo Picasso: "Non giudicare sbagliato ciò che non conosci.."
- Slava Fokk, 1976 | Surrealist / Art Déco style painter
- Renso Castaneda, 1970 | Surrealist painter
- Juan Medina, 1950 | Hyperrealist / Surrealist painter
- Joey Havlock, 1967 ~ Abstract Surrealist painter
- Vladimir Kush, 1965 ~ The Surreal landscapes
- Vladimir Kush, 1965 | The Metaphorical Realism
- Victor Bregeda, 1963 | Surrealist Plein air painter
- José Parra, 1975 | Surrealist painter
- Tran Nguyen, 1987 ~ Surrealist painter
- Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 1976 ~ Surrealist painter
- Barry Gross, 1948 | Portrait / Surrealist painter
- Igor Maykov, 1966 | Surrealist painter
- Vladimir Kush, 1965 ~ The Surrealist sculptures
- David Gilliver, 1979 ~ Psychadelic Light painter
- Boris Indrikov /Борис Индриков, 1967 | Unicorn Dream
- Andres Barrioquinto, 1975 ~ Surrealist painter
- Eric Montoya, 1968 ~ Surrealist painter
- Jane Whiting Chrzanoska, 1948 | Surrealist painter
- Igor Morski, 1960 ~ Surrealist painter
- Tina Blondell, 1953 | Visionary / Figurative painter
- Gala, la passione surreale di Salvador Dali
- Madeline Von Foerster, 1973 ~ Fantastic Surrealist painter
- Ettore Aldo Del Vigo, 1952 ~ Surrealist painter
- Laimonas Šmergelis, 1972 ~ Surrealist painter
- Dmitry Brodetsky, 1976 ~ Surrealist painter
- Ilene Meyer | Fantastic Surrealist painter
- Martín La Spina, 1973 ~ Surrealist painter
- Giorgio De Chirico | The Metaphysical Art Movement
- Valeriy Kot, 1958 ~ Surrealist painter
- Leonor Fini | Surrealist painter
- Salvador Dali | Quotes / Aforismi
- Arunas Zilys, 1953 ~ Mythic Surrealist painter
- Jeanette Guichard-Bunel, 1957 | Pop Art painter
- Claudio Souza Pinto, 1954 ~ Romantic Surrealist painter
- George Underwood, 1947 ~ Surrealist /Visionary painter
- Pablo Picasso: Datemi un museo e ve lo riempirò!
- Jared Joslin, 1970 | Figurative / Surrealist painter
- Duy Huynh, 1975 ~ Symbolist Surrealist painter
- Patricia Van Lubeck, 1965 ~ Surrealist painter
- Friedrich Nietzsche / Michael Bilotta ~ Quotes /Gli aforismi
- Berit Kruger-Johnsen | Surrealist / Symbolist painter
- Oscar Wilde / Alberto Pancorbo
- Carsten Witte, 1964 | Fashion photographer
- Josephine Wall, 1947 | Fantasy painter
- Thomas Dodd ~ Visionary photographer
- Gesine Marwedel 1987 ~ Body Painting
- Oleg Shuplyak, 1967 ~ Surreal Optical Illusion painter
- Ben Heine 1983 ~ Digital Surrealist painter
- John Pitre, 1942 ~ Fantasy/Surrealist painter
- Ben Goossens 1945 ~ Surrealist photographer | Part. 2
- Timur Tsaku 1971 ~ Surreal Hyperrealist painter
- Ricardo Fernandez Ortega 1971 ~ Surrealist painter
- Antoine Jossé 1970 ~ Surrealist sculptor and painter
- Yuri Laptev 1962 ~ Surrealist painter
- Patrick Le Hec'h | Surrealist photographer
- Max Ernst ~ Dada Surrealist painter
- Man Ray | Dadaist /Surrealist Photographer /Painter
- Marcel Duchamp | Dadaist / Surrealist Conceptual painter
- Pablo Picasso ~ The Portraits
- Edward Pustovoitov /Эдуард Пустовойтов, 1964 | Fantasy | Surrealist painter
- Jorge Ignacio Nazabal, 1962 | Surrealist painter
- Alex Levin 1975 ~ Surrealist painter
- Paul Klee ~ Expressionist painter
- Kate Lightfoot - Pop Surrealism painter
- Francis Bacon ~ Expressionist painter
- Arshile Gorky | Abstract Expressionist painter
- Mariusz Lewandowski
- Dino Valls, 1959 | Surrealist painter
- Ben Goossens, 1945 ~ Surrealist photographer
- Georges Mazilu, 1951 | Surrealist painter
- Leonora Carrington | Surrealist painter and sculptor | Painting
- Tomohiro Nakagawa 中川 知洋, 1974 | Surrealist /Visionary painter
- Balthus | Modern painter
- Ronald Companoca, 1981 ~ Surrealist painter
- Gennady Privedentsev/ Геннадий Приведенцев ~ Surrealist painter
- Victor Hagea 1948 ~ Surrealist painter
- Fabrice Backes, 1968 | Surrealist painter / iIlustrator
- Paul David Bond, 1964 ~ Surrealist painter
- Catrin Arno ~ Surrealist painter
- Jeff Faust, 1952 | Surrealist painter
- Hiroko Sakai | Surrealist painter
- Mahira Ates, 1960 | Surrealist painter
- Tomek Sętowski, 1961 | Magical Realism painter
- Samy Charnine, 1967 | Surrealist painter
- Jean-Claude Desplanques, 1936
- Olga Naletova 1966 ~ Surrealist painter
- Eduardo Naranjo, 1944 | Neorealist /Surrealist painter
- Thierry Garnier-Lafond, 1960 | Surrealist / Symbolist painter
- Oksana Yambykh, 1966 | Surrealist painter
- Ling Jian / 凌健, 1963 | Pop Surrealism painter
- Katherine Blackwell | Surrealist painter
- Andrius Kovelinas,1958 | Surrealist painter | VideoArt
- Ivan Marchuk, 1936 | Surrealist painter
- Giovanni Auriemma, 1976
- Jeff Roland, 1969 | Surrealist / Abstract painter
- Ivan Slavinsky ~ Surrealist and impressionist painter
- Ophelia Redpath, 1965 | Surrealist painter
- Remedios Varo | Surrealist painter
- Alexander Sigov, 1955 ~ Surrealist painter
- Ciro Palumbo, 1965 | Surrealist / Symbolist painter
- Igor Kozlovsky and Marina Sharapova
- Giuseppe Arcimboldo ~ Mannerist painter
- Jose De la Barra, 1956 ~ Surrealist/Symbolist painter
- Siegfried Zademack, 1952 | Surrealist / Visionary painter
- Marc Chagall ~ Paris through my window
- Frida Kahlo | Surrealist painter
- Odilon Redon | Symbolist / Colorist painter
- Marc Chagall ~ Le vetrate
- Pablo Picasso / Alda Merini ~ Alla tua salute, amore mio
- John Jude Palencar, 1957 | Fantasy painter
- Catherine Alexandre ~ Surrealist painter
- Evgeni Gordiets / Евгений Гордиец, 1952 | Surrealist painter
- Natalia Vetrova
- Katarina Ali, 1973 ~ Surrealist and Fantasy painter
- Naoto Hattori ~ Surrealist painter
- Eduard Zentshik, 1975 ~ Surrealist painter
- Tetsuya Ishida 1973-2005 ~ Surrealist painter
- Stanislav Plutenko, 1961 | Surrealist painter
- Jacek Yerka, 1952 ~ Surrealist painter
- Gabriela Garza Padilla ~ Neo-Surrealist painter
- Svetlana Bobrova ~ Surrealist painter
- Peter Gric ~ Fantastic/surrealist painter
- Leszek Sokol
- Pablo Picasso ~ Gli aforismi
- Joan Miró ~ Surrealist painter
- Ludmila, 1958 ~ Surrealist painter
- Vladimir Kush, 1965
- Andrey Remnev / Андрей Ремнев, 1962 | Magic Realism painter
- Wolfgang Lettl ~ Surrealist painter
- Ric Nagualero | Symbolist painter
- David Michael Bowers, 1956 | Symbolists /Surrealists painter
- Marina Podgaevskaya / Марина Подгаевская, 1963 | Abstract Figurative painter | VideoArt
- Pablo Picasso: I computer sono inutili. Ti sanno dare solo risposte..
- Salvador Dali ~ Zodiac sign
- Philippe Augé, 1935 | Surrealist painter
- Salvador Dalì ~ Toreador allucinogeno
- Salvador Dali | Self-portraits
- Kahlil Gibran / Pablo Picasso ~ Ti amo terribilmente..
- Boris Indrikov /Борис Индриков, 1967 | Magical Realism painter
- Oscar Wilde / Bruno Di Maio
- Jeffrey Batchelor, 1960 ~ Surrealist painter
- Russell Mills, 1971 ~ Abstract mixed media painter
- Marc Chagall | Expressionist /Cubist painter
- Eric Fortune ~ Surrealist painter
- Boris Dubrov, 1979
- Jacques Prévert ~ Prima colazione...
- Jacques Prévert ~ Alicante ...
Jef van Tuerenhout
Jonathan Wolstenholme🎨, 1950 - British Surrealist painter
Il surrealismo fu un movimento artistico d'avanguardia del Novecento nato come evoluzione del dadaismo e che coinvolse tutte le arti, toccando anche letteratura e cinema, nato negli anni 20 a Parigi dove, nel 1925, era stata allestita la prima mostra del movimento.
Il Surrealismo è un movimento letterario e artistico che vuole esprimere una realtà superiore, fatta di irrazionale e di sogno e che vuole rivelare gli aspetti più profondi della mente.
Il Surrealismo ebbe come principale teorico il poeta André Breton, che canalizzò la vitalità distruttiva del dadaismo.
Breton fu influenzato dalla lettura de L'interpretazione dei sogni di Freud del 1900; dopo averlo letto arrivò alla conclusione che fosse inaccettabile il fatto che il sogno e l'inconscio avessero avuto così poco spazio nella civiltà moderna, e pensò quindi di fondare un nuovo movimento artistico e letterario in cui essi avessero un ruolo fondamentale. Nacque così il surrealismo, che aveva avuto tra i suoi precursori recenti il poeta e scrittore Guillaume Apollinaire, morto nel 1918.
- Descrizione
«Automatismo psichico puro, attraverso il quale ci si propone di esprimere, con le parole o la scrittura o in altro modo, il reale funzionamento del pensiero. Comando del pensiero, in assenza di qualsiasi controllo esercitato dalla ragione, al di fuori di ogni preoccupazione estetica e morale.»
Il surrealismo è quindi un automatismo psichico, ovvero quel processo in cui l'inconscio, quella parte di noi che emerge durante i sogni, emerge anche quando siamo svegli e ci permette di associare libere parole, pensieri e immagini senza freni inibitori e scopi preordinati.
I surrealisti si avvalevano di diverse tecniche per far in modo di attivare il loro inconscio, una di queste è il cadavre exquis (cadavere squisito), tecnica basata sulla casualità e sulla coralità, che prevede la collaborazione di più artisti: uno di essi comincia l'operazione tracciando un disegno, una figura, che deve essere ignorata dagli altri, poi il foglio deve essere passato a tutti i partecipanti, uno per uno, i quali a loro volta faranno una figura, e così via.
Questa tecnica era utilizzata dai surrealisti anche in ambito poetico, ovvero aggiungendo uno per uno una parola, ignorando lo scopo finale dei singoli. Il nome della tecnica deriva infatti da una poesia surrealista: "Il cadavere squisito berrà il vino nuovo".
Altre tecniche frequentemente utilizzate dai pittori di questo movimento sono:
- il frottage (strofinamento)
- il grattage (grattamento, raschiamento)
- il collage
- l'assemblage
- il dripping (Max Ernst è il primo ad utilizzare questa tecnica, resa famosa dopo la seconda guerra mondiale da Jackson Pollock).
Il surrealismo ha tre tematiche principali:
- "amore": inteso come fulcro della vita.
- "sogno e follia": considerati i mezzi per superare la razionalità (molti surrealisti ammiravano Freud e Jung).
- "liberazione": dell'individuo dalle convenzioni sociali.
La caratteristica comune a tutte le manifestazioni surrealiste è la critica radicale alla razionalità cosciente, e la liberazione delle potenzialità immaginative dell'inconscio per il raggiungimento di uno stato conoscitivo "oltre" la realtà ("sur-realtà") in cui veglia e sogno sono entrambe presenti e si conciliano in modo armonico e profondo.
Il Surrealismo è certamente la più "onirica" delle manifestazioni artistiche, proprio perché dà accesso a ciò che sta oltre il visibile. Inoltre esso comprende immagini nitide e reali ma accostandole tra di loro senza alcun nesso logico.
Il pensiero surrealista si manifestò spesso come ribellione alle convenzioni culturali e sociali, concepita come una trasformazione totale della vita, attraverso la libertà di costumi, la poesia e l'amore.
Suoi referenti sono Marx e Freud:
"Trasformare il mondo, ha detto Marx, cambiare la vita, ha detto Rimbaud. Queste due parole d'ordine sono per noi una sola" (André Breton).
Spesso, molti esponenti del surrealismo sposarono la causa del comunismo e dell'anarchismo (con l'eccezionedi Dalì che mai si allineò ad una corrente politica), per contribuire attivamente al cambiamento politico e sociale che avrebbe poi portato ad una partecipazione più generale alla "surrealtà".
Altri precursori esaltati dai surrealisti furono il marchese de Sade e Restif de la Bretonne.
La critica si divide su dove collocare il punto finale del movimento surrealista: sicuramente, la fine della Seconda guerra mondiale (1945), e la morte di Breton (1966) hanno segnato dei punti di svolta importanti nella storia del surrealismo, che però annovera esponenti anche nella seconda metà del Novecento -come i pittori Fabrizio Clerici, William Girometti, Licurgo Sommariva e scultori come Fabio De Sanctis- e continua ancora oggi ad essere una realtà artistica vitale.
Il movimento surrealista è di gran lunga il più longevo fra le avanguardie storiche, e la sua diffusione capillare in tutto il mondo ha reso la sua storia molto variegata rispetto a movimenti circoscritti nel tempo e nello spazio come il dadaismo o il futurismo.
L'attività del primo gruppo surrealista parigino, gravitante intorno ad André Breton, vide la partecipazione di un grande numero di scrittori e artisti di diverso orientamento, spesso in conflitto tra loro e con la guida spirituale del movimento.
Tra gli artisti di arti visive più riconosciuti spaziamo tra Joan Miró nel suo allucinato mondo parallelo popolato di forme geometriche colorate sospese che ricerca l'interiorità delle cose con crescente astrazione.
Con Max Ernst l'illogica scava nel profondo dell'animo umano; René Magritte che gioca molto sull'estraniamento dalla realtà e le sue opere sono sollecitazioni visive che ci portano a riflettere.
E, naturalmente, c'è Salvador Dalí ("il surrealismo sono io"), con la sua fantastica o fantasmatica proiezione del "sogno" e del pensiero subcosciente o pre-cosciente in una visionaria pseudo-realtà.
Nell'arte dell'incisione vale la pena ricordare l'opera dell'italiano Alberto Martini e dell'estone Eduard Wiiralt. | © Wikipedia
Mihai Criste
Mihai Criste