Topic 3 - Surrealism - Task 3

Surrealism

"In a revolution against a society ruled by rational thought, the Surrealists tapped into the “superior reality” of the subconscious."

Surrealism was an artistic, intellectual, and literary movement led by poet André Breton from 1924 through World War II. The Surrealists sought to overthrow the oppressive rules of modern society by demolishing its backbone of rational thought. To do so, they attempted to tap into the “superior reality” of the subconscious mind. “Completely against the tide,” said Breton, “in a violent reaction against the impoverishment and sterility of thought processes that resulted from centuries of rationalism, we turned toward the marvelous and advocated it unconditionally.”1

(Figure 1. Cut-and-pasted gelatin silver prints, cut-and-pasted printed paper, pencil, and pencil frottage on paper, 19 3/4 x 13 1/4″ (50.1 x 33.6 cm). Image via MoMa.org)

 Many of the tenets of Surrealism, including an emphasis on automatism, experimental uses of language, and found objects, had been present to some degree in the Dada movement that preceded it. However, the Surrealists systematized these strategies within the framework of psychologist Sigmund Freud’s theories on dreams and the subconscious mind. In his 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, Breton defined Surrealism as “Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express…the actual functioning of thought…in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern.”2


Dada & Surrealism

While Dada was decentralized in terms of geography and leadership, the center of Surrealism was Paris, with Breton unequivocally at the helm. While Dada was in many ways an anarchic movement, the Surrealists were known for engaging in collective group actions.

(Figure 2. Man Ray. André Breton. 1931. Image via MoMa.org)

The Surrealist circle was relatively cohesive, but the individuals within it hailed from a variety of nations, and their artistic approaches were similarly diverse. They believed that automatic drawings unlocked the contents of the subconscious mind, while hyper-real landscape paintings conjured the uncanny imagery of dreams. Incongruous combinations of found objects combined in Surrealist assemblages revealed the fraught sexual and psychological forces they believed were hidden just beneath the surface of reality.

Related Artists: Jean (Hans) Arp, Hans Bellmer, Cadavre Exquis with Yves Tanguy, Joan Miró, Max Morise, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), Joseph Cornell, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Marcel Jean, René Magritte, Man Ray, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), André Masson, Joan Miró, Joan Miró, Max Morise, Meret Oppenheim, Yves Tanguy

Task 3: Create Surrealist Art work, both 2d and 3d using four words randomly selected by lot. 

These are the four words I picked.

Loud, Green, Death, Triangle

Idealization:

This process requires me to think critically on the idea I wish to produce as my final art work. In my humble opinion I believe all ideas come from imagination. Through my imagination, the words (Loud, Green, Death, Triangle) created an image of a female to depict those words.

This is my sketch.

 

(Figure 3. Sketch work)

Final Production:

(Figure 4. Loud, Green, Death, Triangle)
Surrealist Art by Mark

Reflection:

In bringing the final production of this art work, I experimented by combining various materials to create a surrealist art work.

I developed this art work through a process of using composition of molding clay plasters on a cardboard to form a female body image. And used female beauty accessories to from the breast nipples. The eye lashes are pined on the private part to depict pubic hair.

Interpretation:

Of all work of art, I always reflect on two important questions (1) What do you see? (2) What does it mean?

This personal interpretation is one that I have formulated for myself after careful thought and reflection looking at the surrealist art work I have created. This interpretation has meaning to me and for my life. 

The above surrealist art work often seem to be of nature's Earth represented as a female naked woman. The art work has no head or legs because the Earth has no beginning or end. As a child, I fed from my mother's breast. Which makes using the colour of green and white for the breast and white and red for the nipple to signify energy and life. For the navel, the star shape represents human originating from the Earth. Before I was born into the Earth, I received food from my mother's womb through the navel string. This makes the navel very symbolic and important to human life. Lastly, the private part, represent the Earth soil from where all food originates. As applied to me, when I was born, I came out through my mother's private part. And when I die, I will be put into the private part of the Earth which is the Earth soil.

References:
MoMA Learning. 2014. MoMA | Dada. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/surrealism. [Accessed 24 October 24].