Surrealist painting became one of the most prominent movements of the 20th century. It gained popularity in 1924 when André Breton, the father of surrealism, founded the movement and published a manifesto outlining the radical changes the movement aimed to achieve. Like other avant-garde movements, surrealism sought to change the world and be exclusive to culture and art.
Since then, some of the most famous artists of the 20th century followed his ideas, translating them onto the canvas as part of the manifesto’s ideals. “Imagination in power” is one of the most well-known phrases from its founder.
The Automatism in Surrealist Painting
The central idea of surrealism lies in the control of the mind. For surrealist painters, the mind must be liberated and free of control over what is being represented. This leads to two types of expression: one is automatism, which gives rise to abstract forms. The concept involves liberating the hand and allowing it to move freely across the canvas, creating abstract lines and shapes without any specific sense or order. It is a release of the mind, doing whatever comes to it at any given moment.
Many surrealists were fascinated by the art produced by people with mental disorders or those whose ideas escaped rational control.
Figurative Painting
A second aspect of surrealist painting relates to figurative painting, which includes images that would belong to the world of dreams and imagination. These images are deeper, often stemming from the subconscious, and are frequently incongruent scenes that would be impossible to observe in reality. Many of these works are linked to the artist’s life or past traumatic experiences.
It is curious how some titles evoke mystery or contradiction, often being long or suggestive. For instance, the first surrealist work of Salvador Dalí, titled Honey is Sweeter than Blood, is now lost, but only a poorly preserved photograph remains.