Surreal Paintings: Then and Now

Surrealism was founded by André Breton in 1924 as a means of defiance against the rationale that caused the First World War. The birth of surrealism was considered rebellious by the other well established artists of that time. Breton describes the surrealist painting as the result of a mix of what is perceived with what is conceived. It is defined by a variety of styles, approaches and techniques including the techniques of collage and frottage (used by Max Ernst).

Surreal paintings evoke flights of the imagination which the painters depict from their own points of view. Initially of course, most viewers were (and still are) confused by surrealist expressions. But that is not surprising because when one observes a surrealist painting one sees a warped conception of reality. The paintings are often rather vivid in color and depict an altered state of emotions.

A common theme and intention of many surrealist artists is to try to reflect in their paintings the freedom they have in their dreams. This theme was heavily influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud, the pioneer of psychoanalysis. What is conceived in the mind is given structure through shape and dimension and put on a canvas. What is put on the canvas is symbolic of the painter's inner reality. The surreal painting is a link between real structures in the material world and conceptual, spiritual realities. The main goal of the surrealist artist is to register the makeup of the human consciousness.

Surrealist paintings can also be seen as representations of the surrealist movement itself. They are clear depictions of the rebellious nature of the movement's members. The paintings bear the marks of their thoughts on current affairs. Surreal paintings dare you to dream; they force you to see a skewed concept of reality and they sometimes border on farce and the ridiculous in order to clarify a point or to dispute a particular concept. The paintings are meant to make a statement, meant to inspire thought and to evoke the “what if” feeling from the person viewing the work.

With the rise of the Internet, we are now able to access many online galleries that display surreal paintings. Of course, with so much artwork being displayed, there is a wide variance of quality. Some of it is very good, while others are, well… Occasionally however, we can find something that is really remarkable. Here’s a site that interests us: Drawings, Paintings & Prints