Essay on Surrealism
Surrealism: It’s Full of Surprises
Essay by: Cheryl Pulimoottil
Teacher: Mr. Dimonte
Course: AVI-4M
The history of art cannot be told without stepping on a few toes. There were many eras in art history, some much more conservative than others, but none as controversial and bold as the Surrealism era. Although many people do not understand surrealism, one should always respect it because it is still an inescapable part of art history, and it gave a real kick to the otherwise contemporary world of art. This era in particular left a great mark behind, that is still seen in the art world today. Surrealism broke tradition and opened minds to a whole new world of possibilities. This era began as a repercussion of the First World War so that people could escape the harshness of reality. It started during a really melancholy time in history but it was made with a positive purpose. The founders of Surrealism included many out of the box authors and soon after that, included many artists as well. Although the surrealism movement did not last for hundreds of years, it did leave a strong imprint in history, and any time something has left a mark, controversy follows close.
Without learning the history of Surrealism and how it really came to be, one cannot expect to understand the impacts and study the artists of the era. First and foremost, Surrealism did not start out as an artistic movement; it was initially created as a literary movement by a poet named Andre Breton in 1924 after the publication of the Manifesto of Surrealism.[1] This movement began as a way to really release the unconscious mind and make it a reality; it had no conscious control and was free from all forms of convention. As said by Andre Breton, the reason behind Surrealism is “to resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality, a super-reality,” it was free spirited and automatic.[2]
Essay by: Cheryl Pulimoottil
Teacher: Mr. Dimonte
Course: AVI-4M
The history of art cannot be told without stepping on a few toes. There were many eras in art history, some much more conservative than others, but none as controversial and bold as the Surrealism era. Although many people do not understand surrealism, one should always respect it because it is still an inescapable part of art history, and it gave a real kick to the otherwise contemporary world of art. This era in particular left a great mark behind, that is still seen in the art world today. Surrealism broke tradition and opened minds to a whole new world of possibilities. This era began as a repercussion of the First World War so that people could escape the harshness of reality. It started during a really melancholy time in history but it was made with a positive purpose. The founders of Surrealism included many out of the box authors and soon after that, included many artists as well. Although the surrealism movement did not last for hundreds of years, it did leave a strong imprint in history, and any time something has left a mark, controversy follows close.
Without learning the history of Surrealism and how it really came to be, one cannot expect to understand the impacts and study the artists of the era. First and foremost, Surrealism did not start out as an artistic movement; it was initially created as a literary movement by a poet named Andre Breton in 1924 after the publication of the Manifesto of Surrealism.[1] This movement began as a way to really release the unconscious mind and make it a reality; it had no conscious control and was free from all forms of convention. As said by Andre Breton, the reason behind Surrealism is “to resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality, a super-reality,” it was free spirited and automatic.[2]
Bibliography: Voorhies, James. "Surrealism". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/surr/hd_surr.htm (April 2013) ----------------------- [1] Voorhies, James. "Surrealism". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/surr/hd_surr.htm (April 2013) [2] "Art Movements." Surrealism [4] Voorhies, James. "Surrealism". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/surr/hd_surr.htm (April 2013) [5] Ibid.