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as. Works of painting, writing, the- atre, filmmaking, photography and other media feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur. However, many Surrealist artists and writers regard their work as first and foremost be- ing an expression of the philosoph- ical movement (for instance, of the “pure psychic automatism” that Bre- ton wrote about in his First Surreal- ist Manifesto), with the works them- selves being secondary, i.e., artefacts of experimentation. As a leader, Bre- ton was explicit in his assertion that Surrealism was primarily a revolu- tionary movement. The word surrealism was first coined in March 1917 by Guillaume Apollinaire. "All things considered, I think in fact it is better to adopt sur- realism than supernaturalism, which I first used". And he used it in notes about the ballet Parade, which includ- ed a scenario by Jean Cocteau. Coc- teau nonetheless described Parade as a “realist ballet”. However, it was only the October 1924 publishing of the Surrealist Manifesto that marked Breton’s definitive break with Dada- ism and offered a formal definition of Surrealism, establishing Breton’s position as the leader of this new movement. Guillaume Apollinaire went further by describing Parade as “surrealistic”... It prompted artists from dif- ferent genres to decide to embody dreams, the unconscious, hallucina- tions, repressed desires, secrets etc. They actually set out to evoke a phan- tasmagorical world. Painters desired to paint their own dreams, with the brush and pencil serving as instru- ments to liberate the unconscious. Surrealism spread through various domains of art – from fine art to the- atre and film, such that Luis Buñuel will be the first association with this movement for some, while for others it will be Paul Éluard. Here are just a few of the many figures who’ve be- come synonymous with surrealism... SALVADOR DALI He came into contact with Sig- mund Freud’s writings on sexuality and subconscious images in the late
1922, two years after Ernst moved to Paris, he became a member of the Surrealist movement. Even though he left the Surrealist group in 1938, his work continued to be influenced by the movement’s ideas. RENÉ MAGRITTE This Belgian artist was on- ly around 14 when his mother drowned, which led to him being raised by his grandmother. After at- tending the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts, Magritte worked as a de- signer for a factory that produced wallpapers. He initially made works in a Cubist-Futurist style, only to transition to Surrealism in 1925. He and his wife moved to a suburb of Paris in 1927 and it was then that he became friends with members of the Surrealist movement. They later moved back to Brussels, where Magritte participated in the Sur- realist movement of Belgium. Of- ten associated with his use of the bowler hat, clouds and green apples, Magritte is known for depictions that turn the ordinary and famil- iar into something strange and un- canny. His False Mirror from 1929 depicts an eye with clouds instead of an iris. Magritte wasn’t the on- ly Surrealist who was captivated by eyes. Their interest stemmed from the eye’s role as a bridge between the internal subjective self and ex- ternal reality. JOAN MIRÓ Born in Barcelona, Joan Miró’s parents wanted him to study at a commercial college, which he did. He subsequently worked in an of- fice as a clerk, but he had a mental breakdown, so his parents allowed him to go to an art school in Barce- lona. His art depicts both elements of abstract art and Surrealism. He signed the Surrealist Manifesto in 1924 and was admired for his depic- tion of the unconscious by the other Surrealists. However, Miró was nev- er an official member of the move- ment. His painting The Hunter (Cat- alan Landscape) is one example of Miró’s combination of figurative and abstract elements.
1920s. It was also during this time that became an official member of the Surrealist group. His paintings of- ten seem to contain distorted images in a dreamlike and sometimes eerie atmosphere, while being combined with realistic depictions. Dalí himself called them hand-painted dream pho- tographs. Dalí’s paintings and perso- na led to him becoming the most fa- mous representative of the Surrealist movement. The artist’s work depict- ing melting watches is probably one of the best-known works of Surre- alism. Dalí also made two Surrealist movies in collaboration with Spanish director Luis Buñuel, entitled An An- dalusian Dog and The Golden Age. MAX ERNST Ernst studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Bonn before leaving in 1911 to pursue a career as an artist. After serving in World War I, he led the Dada movement in Cologne. In a 1920 exhibition that he organised and that was held in the conserva- tory of a restaurant, people had to come in through a public lavatory. Once inside, visitors received axes so that they could destroy the exhib- ited works. A young girl with white clothes stood at the end of the gal- lery reciting provocative poems. In
44 | Umetnost » Art
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