Surrealism

Surrealism

Surrealism was a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, best known for its visual artworks and writings. Aiming to resolve the “previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality". Artists painted unnerving, illogical scenes with photographic precision, creating strange creatures from everyday objects whilst developing painting techniques that allowed for an expression of the subconscious.

Surrealist works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur; however, many Surrealist artists and writers regard their work as an expression of philosophical movements.  I mainly took inspiration from artists such as: Man Ray, Max Ernst, and

René Magritte.

Man Ray was an American visual artist, best known for his photography – Man Ray is also noted for his work with photograms, which he called "rayographs" in reference to himself. I attempted to emulate the ambiguous atmosphere of his images onto my own.

Ernst was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and Surrealism. His use of ambiguous space and contrasting curvaceous and straight lines appealed to the dream play-like atmosphere I wanted to achieve.

Magritte's work frequently displays a collection of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things. The use of objects as other than what they seem is typified in his painting. Despite not imitating any of Margritte’s obvious stylistic qualities or objectives I felt he was important to look at due to the idea of his work challenging observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality.

Despite not imitating any of Margritte’s obvious stylistic qualities or objectives I felt he was important to look at due to the idea of his work challenging observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality.