Surrealism

[thrilafrommanila]

I've always wonder something about surrealism. In both high school and college I've had to do surrealism projects that required a painting/drawing/whatever that was considered "surreal."

But according to my expert teachers, no one was able to capture "surrealism."

This has lead me to think of surrealism as a sort of "inside joke" if you will between Dali and many other artists. I am not referring to a joke in such manner, rather something that only that particular group actually understands and when talked amongt outsiders, is met with many blank stares and empty nods.

I'm just curious what other's opinions are of surrealism, if they've ever achieved making something surreal, etc.

tl:dr it's a discussion on surrealism and what it means to you.

[Elwell]

Go to the source (http://pers-www.wlv.ac.uk/%7Efa1871/whatsurr.html).

[Ilaekae]

Elwell gave you the place it all began. Do a search on the term on Google and read at least 4-5 of the results to get an idea of how it took physical form (visual and literary) under Breton through the various political cultures it survived under.

Surrealism today is usually misunderstood/misapplied as just doing something shocking or ideosyncratic for the hell of it to stand out from the "crowd." True surrealism is the result of attempting to make literal sense of imagery that comes from absolutely free association, not to make "weird pictures."

Bob Dylan is a true surrealist, at least as far as many of his early pieces are concerned. I'm mentioning him because his work is probably the easiest to recognize the thought process that random and free association produces as output.

The reason most people fail when they try to do a "surrealist" piece is because they believe it is simply a matter of juxtaposing a bunch of disconnected stuff (which IS a COMPLETELY RATIONAL act) into a piece of art. This is exactly opposite the truth, and is difficult to do in real life because most of us are too "grounded" in reality to allow our thought process to go where IT wants to rather than where WE want it to. This is a truly scary concept, because during the creative process, you are technically crazy. Not the kind of thing most people want to try.

Surrealist art/music/literature exists in a world of rationality that may or may not intersect coherently with the world we all live in on a daily basis, but it does exist. It is real, though by its own rules and "illogic."

Nothing I have just written exists, and you have not read it. If this were not so, you would be a termite and i would want to kiss your furry pink fingers.

[feifeicreate]

I think surrealism is completely overrated. the subject matter is too personal to communicate with general public, and it's pretty much all about the artist's little weird world. Frida, wonderful artist might be, also very limited. Diego Rivera is a lot better, he paint about the world around him, and trying to make a statement (but he's not surrealism artist...), while Friday paint about the world inside her, and basically, she doesn't care if people understand her art or not. Dali is fun when he first paint his melting clock, but after what how many years of same stuff, it's kind of hard to like him...

Eventually, all surreal artists has to face the bitter truth that people simply couldn't relate to their world, no matter how interesting and twisted it might be. It's the balance between communication and self expression.

Personally, I think surreal art is like emporor's new clothes...

[Ilaekae]

"Personally, I think surreal art is like emporor's new clothes..."

...so...I'm guessing only some of us can hear them...

[chriskot]

I think surrealism is completely overrated. the subject matter is too personal to communicate with general public, and it's pretty much all about the artist's little weird world.
That's actually what I find appealing about surrealist art. I don't have to be able to relate to it, I just find it interesting because it's unusual and gives me a twisted little glimpse into someone else's mind.

Also, I think that I read somewhere that Dali once admitted that several of his pieces were just created with the intention of producing something weird enough to generate attention. I like Dali's stuff, but by Ilaekae's definition I think that means that they don't all exactly qualify as surrealism.

[thrilafrommanila]

That's actually what I find appealing about surrealist art. I don't have to be able to relate to it, I just find it interesting because it's unusual and gives me a twisted little glimpse into someone else's mind.

Also, I think that I read somewhere that Dali once admitted that several of his pieces were just created with the intention of producing something weird enough to generate attention. I like Dali's stuff, but by Ilaekae's definition I think that means that they don't all exactly qualify as surrealism.

it's funny that you mention dali making stuff to generate attention.

a couple of years ago i had a print teacher who knew dali back when he was in spain. according to my teacher, he had said the same thing about how dali did a lot of things as well as create a lot of things just for media attention. it seemed a lot different from what i had remember in art history, which i found really interesting.

[thrilafrommanila]

Go to the source (http://pers-www.wlv.ac.uk/%7Efa1871/whatsurr.html).

if only i had this to read back in foundation painting class. it would have cleared up so much for me and left me without tons of humiliation :android:

[Carl Dobsky]

"Personally, I think surreal art is like emporor's new clothes..."

...so...I'm guessing only some of us can hear them...


"Listen! Do you smell something??"

[Ilaekae]

Nope. I had my eyes closed.

[Jasonwclark]

I married Isis on the fifth day of May,
But I could not hold on to her very long.
oa902KnlME8

Memorable quotes from Surrealissimo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339751/quotes) :)


I like Dali's stuff, but by Ilaekae's definition I think that means that they don't all exactly qualify as surrealism.

Important to remember that Dali broke with the surrealists after coming to America. Andre Breton 'excommunicated' him from the movement, and Dali in turn accused the surrealists of missing the point of his work. After that the whole thing starts to get rather mean spirited and personal. I think he was still on to something very much in keeping with the early ideas, but his ego and his politics were too at variance with the other surrealists for them to accept him. Its funny, and little sad maybe, that they all turned on each other like that.

447447

447449

:madchef: