Transcript Slide 1
Brooke Keogh LIT 261 September, 2006 Surrealism Defined † Surrealism is the principles, ideals or practice of creating fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art or literature by means of unnatural or irrational juxtapositions and combinations. It was a movement in visual arts, literature, film, or theater between World Wars I & II. Andre Breton Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach by Salvador Dali The Surrealist Movement “Founded by Andre Breton in 1924, it was a primarily European movement that attracted many members of the chaotic Dada movement” (1). “The Surrealist movement was from the beginning in a constant state of change or conflict, but its major periodicals, La Révolution surréaliste (1924-30) and Le Surréalisme au service de la révolution (1930-33), channeled cooperation and also spread ideas beyond France” (2). Surrealist Landscape Andre Breton Max Ernst The Co-founder o The German painter-poet Max Ernst was a member of the dada movement and a founder of surrealism. He was a selftaught artist who formed a Dada group in Cologne, Germany, with other revolutionary artists. He pioneered a method called frottage, in which a sheet of paper is placed on the surface of an object and then penciled over until the texture of the surface is transferred. In 1925, he showed his work at the first surrealist painting exhibition in Paris (7). La femme penchée The Leaning Woman Frida Kahlo VS. Surrealism Frida had an extreme dislike for Surrealists, but she and her husband Diego did participate in the International Exhibition of Surrealism held in Mexico City. “‘They thought I was a Surrealist,' she said, 'but I wasn't. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality’ (3).” The Two Fridas The broken column Frida was known for her self-portraits. These paintings depict the pains in her life. Surrealist Literature These are authors who were influenced by Surrealism; Eugéne Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Jean Genet (2). All of these writers made literary contributions to the Theater of the Absurd. “[Eugene] Ionesco's earlier works were characterized by the logic of nightmare, but later his plays began to employ a more straightforward plot line” (4). Eugene Ionesco wrote a one-act antiplay, LA CANTATRICE CHAUVE (1950; The Bald Soprano). Surrealist Literature (cont.) “[Samuel Beckett’s] plays are concerned with human suffering and survival, and his characters are struggling with meaninglessness and the world of the Nothing”.(5) “[Jean Genet’s] first play, The Maids, made a significant contribution to the theatre of the absurd” (6). Genet’s later dramas explore the symbolic landscapes of loneliness and despair. He also abandoned traditional concepts of character, plot and motivation like his artistic counterparts Andre Breton and Max Ernst. The Music of Surrealism Surrealist art creates is own music, but there were composers who were influenced by surrealism; Bohuslav Martinů, Andre Souris, and Edgard Varèse. Although, those most associated with surrealist music were Erik Satie and George Anthiel. George Anthiel was the only composer whose music was accepted by surrealists. A small example of Surrealism in strictly sound: “What is the sound of fifteen donkeys falling in a space vacuum filled with intestines? Schlloomp! Ahh! Gorgonzola has forgotten the snakes again!” Work Cited 1) http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/surrealis m.html 2) http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/abreton.htm 3) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/K/kahlo.html 4) http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ionesco.htm 5) http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/beckett.htm 6) http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ajarry.htm 7) http://www.mcs.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Ernst. html