Surrealism

In a revolution against a society ruled by rational thought, the Surrealists tapped into
the superior reality of the subconscious.
Surrealism was an artistic, intellectual, and literary movement led by poet Andr
Breton from 1924 through World War II. The Surrealists sought to overthrow the
oppressive rules of modern society by demolishing its backbone of rational thought.
To do so, they attempted to tap into the superior reality of the subconscious mind.
Completely against the tide, said Breton, in a violent reaction against the
impoverishment and sterility of thought processes that resulted from centuries of
rationalism, we turned toward the marvelous and advocated it unconditionally. 1

Cut-and-pasted gelatin silver prints, cut-and-pasted printed paper, pencil, and pencil
frottage on paper, 19 3/4 x 13 1/4 (50.1 x 33.6 cm). Purchase. 2012 Artists Rights
Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris
267.1935
Many of the tenets of Surrealism, including an emphasis on automatism, experimental
uses of language, and found objects, had been present to some degree in
the Dada movement that preceded it. However, the Surrealists systematized these
strategies within the framework of psychologist Sigmund Freuds theories on dreams
and the subconscious mind. In his 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, Breton defined
Surrealism as Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to
expressthe actual functioning of thoughtin the absence of any control exercised
by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern.2
Dada & Surrealism

While Dada was decentralized in terms of geography and leadership, the center of
Surrealism was Paris, with Breton unequivocally at the helm. While Dada was in
many ways an anarchic movement, the Surrealists were known for engaging in
collective group actions.

Man Ray. Andr Breton. 1931.

Gelatin silver print (solarized), 11 1/2 x 8 3/4 (29.2 x 22.3 cm). Gift of James Thrall
Soby. 2012 Man Ray Trust/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP,
Paris
92.1941
The Surrealist circle was relatively cohesive, but the individuals within it hailed from
a variety of nations, and their artistic approaches were similarly diverse. They
believed that automatic drawings unlocked the contents of the subconscious mind,
while hyper-real landscape paintings conjured the uncanny imagery of dreams.
Incongruous combinations of found objects combined in Surrealist assemblages
revealed the fraught sexual and psychological forces they believed were hidden just
beneath the surface of reality.
Related Artists: Jean (Hans) Arp, Hans Bellmer, Cadavre Exquis with Yves Tanguy,
Joan Mir, Max Morise, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), Joseph Cornell, Salvador
Dal, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Marcel Jean, Wifredo Lam, Ren Magritte, Man
Ray, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), Andr Masson, Joan Mir, Joan Mir, Max
Morise, Meret Oppenheim, Yves Tanguy

Questions & Activities

1. Write Your Manifesto
Read. A manifesto is a public declaration, often political in nature, of a group
or individuals principles, beliefs, and intended courses of action. To begin
this activity, read Andr Bretons First Manifesto of Surrealism (1924).

Write. Now its your turn. Compose your own one-page manifesto in the form
of an essay or a poem. Your manifesto should include a series of statements
that address your point of view on questions such as:
What do you value?
What inspires you?
How would you describe your attitude or approach to creativity?
What changes would you like to see in the world?
It is helpful to begin the statements in your manifesto with actions such as:
I am
I believe
I hope
I wish to change
I will
I will not