Surrealism

Surrealism was an artistic, intellectual, and literary movement led by poet André Breton from 1924 through World War II. The Surrealists sought to overthrow the oppressive rules of 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.” 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). Many of the tenets of , including an emphasis on , experimental uses of language, and , had been present to some degree in the movement that preceded it. Dada & Surrealism Man Ray. André Breton, Manifestoes of Surrealism, translated from the French by Richard Seaver and Helen R.

Surrealism Surrealism originated in the late 1910s and early '20s as a literary movement that experimented with a new mode of expression called automatic writing, or automatism, which sought to release the unbridled imagination of the subconscious. Officially consecrated in Paris in 1924 with the publication of the Manifesto of Surrealism by the poet and critic André Breton (1896–1966), Surrealism became an international intellectual and political movement. Breton, a trained psychiatrist, along with French poets Louis Aragon (1897–1982), Paul Éluard (1895–1952), and Philippe Soupault (1897–1990), were influenced by the psychological theories and dream studies of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) and the political ideas of Karl Marx (1818–1883). Using Freudian methods of free association, their poetry and prose drew upon the private world of the mind, traditionally restricted by reason and societal limitations, to produce surprising, unexpected imagery.

Magritte and Surrealism in London My posts are going to examine the artist in more depth - this post is about René Magritte and how he came to be known in the United Kingdom. E.L.T. Mesens played a vital role in bringing Magritte and his work to audiences on these shores. Magritte first met Mesens on the occasion of his first exhibition in Brussels in 1920. He ensured that the artist was well represented in the first major international Surrealist exhibition in the United Kingdom, staged in London during the summer of 1936. It was through Mesens that Magritte met the English aristocrat and Surrealist patron Edward James. In early 1938 Mesens relocated from Brussels to London. This shows Magritte in a publicity photograph taken at the time. Under Mesens, the London Gallery became the headquarters of Surrealism in England. Finally, I wanted to show you some extraordinary installation images of Magritte’s exhibition in 1969, which occupied the Duveen Galleries at the Tate Gallery in London.

Surrealism Introduction to the surrealist movement ‘As Breton says, surrealism is not just an art movement. It is a way of thinking, a way of transforming existence.’ Surrealism was launched in Paris in 1924 by French poet André Breton with the publication of his Manifesto of Surrealism. Breton was strongly influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. Surrealism became an international movement, widely influencing art, literature and the cinema as well as social attitudes and behaviour. Types of surrealism There was no single style of surrealist art but two broad types can be seen. One was the oneiric (dream-like) work of Salvador Dalí, early Max Ernst, and René Magritte. Surrealism in Tate’s collection 1 of 9 Further reading Surrealism: Desire UnboundThis exhibition, which was on display at Tate Modern in 2002, charted the varied paths of surrealist desire, ranging from the sublime to the transgressive. Surrealist artists in focus Joan Miró René Magritte Other perspectives

TateShots: Storm Thorgerson on Magritte Hi, I’m Storm Thorgerson of Norwegian ancestry, and I’m a designer of album covers. I have done rather too many album covers for some people’s liking, predominantly for Pink Floyd, Led Zepperlin, 10CC and more recently, Muse, Cranberries, Biffy Clyro – good band – et cetera, et cetera. I probably first came across Magritte via my mother, and I think my mother rather indirectly encouraged my interest in art, particularly in painting. And Magritte was probably an early interest, I think because he dealt not with technique so much as with ideas, and some of them are quite funny. I like to look, because it makes me smile. I think I took away from Magritte a sort of love of oddity, or oddness, or rather, juxtaposition or contrariness. I mean, I’m very interested in intentional ambiguity.

What The World Eats - Shocking Photos This photographic report exposes the proliferation of processed foods in the Western diet and in the diets of many developing countries the world over. Is it any wonder that we are seeing increases in diet & lifestyle related diseases? What are your thoughts? The project These images are from the book 'Hungry Planet: What the World Eats' by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluision. Mexico Britain North Carolina, USA Australia Germany California, USA Italy Canada France Japan Texas, USA China Luxembourg Poland Kuwait Mongolia Turkey Mali India Bhutan Chad Ecuador Guatemala Buy the book here: www.menzelphoto.com Which Shocked You The Most?