André Breton

What is surrealism? Surrealism is not only a revolution, but also an “attack of conscience,” “pure psychic automatism,” and a “new mode of pure expression,” according to its founder André Breton. The term was originally coined by Guillaume Apollinaire but Breton and his colleague, Philippe Soupault gave it new meaning. In his declarative and comprehensive texts, Manifestoes of Surrealism, Breton defines for us surrealism and explains the phenomenon in detail so that more can become aware and utilize the technique. Drawing heavy influences from Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, Breton reveals to us the limitless opportunities of surrealism and how it allows us to achieve a perception of a higher reality, similar to how the exoteric texts challenged…

Introduction Magical realism captures the fantastic side of reality ,and it achieves its effect by mixing elements associated with realism and elements related with fantasy. These two worlds undergo a merging and become one. The term “magical realism” was first introduced by German art critic Franz Roh who considered magical realism an art category. Roh influenced many writers around the world ,and one of them is Lois Lowry. This paper will discuss some major characteristic of magical…

In the 1920’s there was an art movement that changed the way art was defined, this was known as the surrealist art movement. Surrealism originated in the late 1910s and early 20s as a literary movement that experimented with a new form of expression called automatic writing or automatism. In Paris in 1924 the publication of the manifesto of surrealism by poet, Andre Breton made surrealism an international and political movement. Many artists and poets such as Louis Aragon (1897–1982), Paul…

Salvador Dali Salvador Dali The Persistence of Memory Metamorphosis of Narcissus The Ecumenical Council Surrealism was a time period that started in 1924 and ended in 1966. It scorned the idea of rationalism or writings of realism, and heavily used psychoanalysis. They had elements of primitivism and mythism as well as they went to treat the unconcious mind. They thought that rationality was a…

When one hears the name ‘Salvador Dali’, one can’t help but think of the surrealist movement. The two have become so intertwined, it’s hard to discard the cemented association. After all, it was Dali who would bring attention and recognition to the movement. It’s important to note that the surrealist school is known for dismissing what was previously valued, like technique and grandiose, and taking on a new subject matter - all things taboo. Dali's major contribution to the Surrealist movement…

Surrealism began in the 20th century in Europe, known to be the most influential movement finding its roots from the era of Dadaism and Cubism (The Art Story, Web.). As Surrealism came nearly after World War I and World War II, artists decided to recreate the destruction left behind turning into a fantasy. Fantasy: the imagination above the reality of life, which was illustrated as art. The combination of the two eras led to the creation of an art form that was unknown and out of the art world.…

In a land of floating armchairs and melting clocks is where I found my interest in art. Salvador Dali, an eccentric and renowned surrealist artist, has changed the way I see the world by providing a fantastical perspective on the quotidian details of human interaction. Dali is most commonly associated with his earlier pieces which feature the use of common objects but with a surrealist twist. He employs the use of ordinary objects, but distorts them in ways that modify the perspective and…

In 1924 a movement called Surrealism was born. The movement followed an art form called Dadaism, which expressed art from a cynical more anti-art approach. But unlike Dadaism, Surrealism was more positive and approached art with fantasy and illogical imagery. A French writer named Andre Breton would be the founder of the movement. Breton had this to say about his movement: “I believe in the future resolution of these two states, dream and reality, which are seemingly so contradictory, into a…

In Professor Bethke’s presentation she brought up how surrealism is all about what lies underneath, unseen, but influences us. This unconscious self, with all of its desires, is what unsettles us because it is the “real” us, or what we really want. Surrealism, which came about in 1924, is an interesting response to the oppressive, restrictive conscious self. Fascism from what I have seen, appeals to very basic ideals. It appeals to identity, to violence, to emotion, and to what looks good. These…

Salvador Dali Born in May 11, 1904 in Figures, Spain, Salvador Dali eccentric nature and talent for self promotion made him the most famous representative of the surrealist movement and one of the most recognized artists in the world. At the age of six-teen Dali’s mother passed away having a profound effect on him because in his mind there were two tragedies, the lost of his beloved mother and the fear that one day she would be forgotten when he vowed to never be forgotten. In 1922, Dali moved…