Surrealism Information/Artists

The Surrealist artists were famous for their paintings reflecting the dream state and the subconscious.

• Salvador Dali, Spanish 1904-1989

• Giorgio de Chirico, Italian 1888-1978

• Rene Magritte, Belgian 1898 – 1967

• Other famous artists known for this style include: Joan Miro, Yves Tanguy, Max Ernst, Frida Kahlo.

Some contemporary artists continue to use Surreal concepts in artwork today

Characteristics of the Surrealism Art Style:

A European art movement that peaked in the 1920’s and 1930’s, Surrealism favored emotion and symbolism over formal art.

Surrealism expressed dreams and visions based on the subconscious, free from rational control.

· Excellent draftsmanship and realistic detail in an unreal, fantastic way

· Use of dynamic scale, perspective and strong shadows to create foreboding landscapes, still life and portraits

· Variety of structures such as open plaza spaces, geometric solids, arcades and architectural facades in dramatic perspective and deep vacant space

· Incongruent objects or things that don’t usually appear together and seem out of place

· Colors were dark or somewhat flat and acidic, often creating an eerie, mysterious, foreboding mood