NCHS Computer Assisted Arts

Surreal artists and Surrealism

Computer assisted art

Henry Holloway

Rene’ Magritte

Max Ernst

Yves Tanguy

Surreal art was a product of the early 1920’s and was a complete movement, revolutionizing the world of modern art. The goal of surrealism was to provide an escape for the unconscious mind, combining seemingly impossible realities and dreamscapes. It challenges what we’ve come to think of as “logical” and “Sensible.” The surreal art movement gave rise to some of the most fascinating studies ever. Some artists, like Salvador Dali, were even psychoanalyzed by Sigmud Freud in an effort to explain their unconscious minds and thus, why they painted the way did.

The golden age of surrealism ran right up until the beginning of world war II (Approximately 1920-1936) And has still stuck to our culture ever since. Although not as popular in America, the surrealists flourished in european countries as that is where the majority of them originated (Primarily France and Spain) 

In my opinion, it is important to have surreal art (or at least a respect and appreciation for it) in our culture today because of the very nature of the art itself. This art lets loose the unconscious mind and therefore, is some of the most quintessentially human art ever produced. 

Rene’ Magritte

Young Girl eating Bird.

In this painting, we see a young girl viciously devouring a songbird, from the image depiction, it is obviously still alive. The birds in the background just watch and sing along as the girl tears apart the bird’s flesh with her teeth. Is this a representation for the nature of man? How we as a species destroy all we can, even if it is beautiful?

Max Ernst

L’Ange du Foyeur

This painting depicts what looks like a giant who is dressed or composed of simple cloths. It wears what looks to be an avian mask, and is clearly very amused. One can deduce this from the upturned eyes and the facial expressions it puts on. It dances around an open landscape without a care in the world. Is this the psychological “Id” that Freud coined, the unbridled unconscious mind that is for us, sheer pleasure?

Yves Tanguy

Indefinite Divisibility

In this work, we see a myriad od objects, none of them even recognizable. This makes the image extremely difficult to break down and analyze. The ground is solid, obviously. It supports these structures, but what does it fade into? Water, sky, or both? The viewer can’t readily distinguish the difference between where the foreground ends and the background begins. Perhaps this emulates semiconscious thought, fading between dreams and reality.