Surrealism
In the 1920′s, the cultural movement known as surrealism began, and from this period we have all kinds of amazing works of art from a number of talented artists, photographers, film makers and writers. There are many elements to surrealism, most importantly the element of surprise, as there are all kinds of little surprises in these great works of art. Many surrealists were into other styles of art to begin with, and surrealism sprang from styles such as Dadaism.
This was a style that basically was more anti-art, and basically, anything went in this type of art. Writers who were into surrealism often wrote a lot of poetry, and in most cases, these writers were French. There are other written works that although are not written by surrealists, are written in a surrealistic style, including Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Wolf and Ulysses by James Joyce.
Andre Breton
One of the founders of surrealism was Andre Breton, who pretty much started the movement with both visual arts and literature. This style of art was not so much realistic as it relied in inspiration from the subconscious mind, or the unconscious mind, and it took things that we see one way and turned them into totally different things. Breton was one of many surrealists who thought that art was a way to tap into the unconscious mind and get to what is truly real. There were no set standards for this style of art, it was a total expression of the imagination.
Salvador Dali
Perhaps one of the most famous surrealist artists was Salvador Dali, who really came into his talent as an art student in the 1920′s. Dali began experimenting with Cubism and Dadaism, before finally coming to surrealism, and creating one of the best known pieces of art today, The Persistence of Memory, or the melting clocks that this work is often referred to as. Dali’s art work has inspired a number of other surrealist artists, and his work also stands the test of time, and can be found in museums, offices, and even homes all over the world. In fact, many people not only have prints of the melting clocks, they also have other items, including real melted clocks that they use to decorate their homes.
Automatism: Another Form of Surrealism
After Breton, other surrealist artists practiced a different form of this art, automatism. One of the most famous artists to paint in this style was Pablo Picasso, who created some very memorable works of art throughout his lifetime. His work was very primary, and he didn’t rely on traditional practices that other artists used during that period.
Over time, surrealism waned in popularity, with modernism becoming increasingly popular. But today, more and more people are enjoying the works of Dali and other artists who specialized in surrealism.
