Overview

Surrealism was a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, led by the poet André Breton. Influenced by the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud, Surrealists believed that the rational mind repressed the power of the imagination. They sought to revolutionize human experience by rejecting logic and embracing the chaotic, dreamlike world of the unconscious.

Core Idea

The core idea is liberation. Surrealism aimed to liberate thought, language, and human experience from the oppressive boundaries of rationalism. By accessing the unconscious—through dreams, chance, and madness—they hoped to reveal a “surreality” (super-reality) where the contradictions of dream and reality would be resolved.

Formal Definition

Breton defined Surrealism in his 1924 Manifesto as: “Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express… the actual functioning of thought. Dictated by thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern.”

Intuition

Imagine a dream where you are holding a melting clock in a desert, or a lobster is a telephone. It makes no logical sense, but it has a powerful emotional or psychological resonance. Surrealism tries to capture that dream-logic in art. It puts two things together that don’t belong (a fish and a bicycle) to create a “spark” of poetic reality.

Examples

  • Salvador Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory: The famous melting clocks represent the fluidity of time in the dream state.
  • René Magritte’s The Treachery of Images: A painting of a pipe with the words “This is not a pipe.” It challenges our reliance on reality and representation.
  • Exquisite Corpse: A game where multiple artists draw parts of a body without seeing what the others have drawn, resulting in a bizarre, collective creation.
  • Un Chien Andalou: A film by Buñuel and Dalí featuring shocking, irrational imagery (like an eye being sliced by a razor) designed to bypass the viewer’s rational defenses.

Common Misconceptions

  • It’s just “random”: Surrealist imagery isn’t random; it is often highly symbolic and rooted in personal or collective psychology (fears, desires).
  • It’s just fantasy: Unlike fantasy, which builds consistent alternative worlds, Surrealism disrupts this world. It is meant to be unsettling and revolutionary, not escapist.
  • Dada: The precursor to Surrealism. Dada was about nonsense and anti-art; Surrealism took that rebellion and gave it a purpose (exploring the unconscious).
  • Magic Realism: A literary genre where magical elements appear in a realistic setting. Surrealism is more aggressive and psychological than the often gentle integration of Magic Realism.
  • The Uncanny: Surrealism often exploits the uncanny (mannequins, doubles) to create its unsettling effects.

Applications

  • Advertising: Surrealist techniques (juxtaposition, dream imagery) are standard in modern advertising to grab attention and create memorable associations.
  • Psychology: The movement popularized Freud’s ideas and the importance of dreams, influencing how we think about the mind.
  • Fashion: Designers like Elsa Schiaparelli (who collaborated with Dalí) introduced surrealist wit into clothing (e.g., the shoe hat).

Criticism / Limitations

  • Misogyny: The movement was male-dominated and often treated women as muses, objects, or “femme enfants” rather than fellow artists (though artists like Frida Kahlo and Leonora Carrington are now reclaiming their place).
  • Commercialization: The revolutionary potential of Surrealism was quickly absorbed by capitalism. The “shock” of a lobster telephone became a quirky design trend.

Further Reading

  • Breton, André. Manifestoes of Surrealism. 1924.
  • Nadeau, Maurice. The History of Surrealism. 1944.
  • Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. 1899. (The theoretical basis).