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Art Evolution from Outer to Inner Worlds

Written by Ruth Mitchell

According to ArtcyclopediaArtcyclopedia surrealism is “a style in which fantastical visual imagery from the subconscious mind is used with no intention of making the work logically comprehensible.” That’s a great way to put it, but many of us look at surrealism and just say, “That’s modern art,” taking for granted its evolution. Art is often influenced by the events, fashions, politics, and culture of the day, and surrealism is no exception. It was particularly influenced by politics and the birth of psychoanalysis.

The movement was founded in 1924 by Andre BretonAndre Breton who was a poet, writer, and artist who studied psychiatry and once even met Freud. He was even an early feminist and a member of the French Communist party for a few years. With strong ties to the Dada movement, surrealists include such noted artists as Max ErnstMax Ernst, Giorgio de ChiricoGiorgio de Chirico, Jean ArpJean Arp, Man RayMan Ray, Joan MiroJoan Miro, and Rene MagritteRene Magritte. Salvador DaliSalvador Dali is perhaps the single-most identified name with surrealism, but he was actually known to have broken with the group because of his extreme right politics.

The exploratory passion of surrealism to explore the subconscious mind has been a tremendous break from representational art and has opened up a whole new world of visual images from the inner world, versus the outer world. A contemporary surrealist that has grabbed my attention recently is Portuguese artist Alberto D’Assumpcao. I invite you to see Alberto’s work now.