Dali Glossary

A surrealist technique where they would randomly draw on paper without paying attention to their meaning.

We say we are unconscious when our mind is not directly aware of what’s going on.

Surrealist used the unconscious as a creative tool to produce art. As a result, they created bizarre and dreamy paintings since they reflect a state of mind that is not logical.

A displacement of a part from its normal position. Surrealist artists used dislocation as a technique to disorient the viewer by placing objects where they shouldn’t be.

A state of mind that occurs when we are sleep during which we experience a series of mental images and emotions. Surrealist loved to use this part of the day as a source of inspiration to create art that would end up having a dream look like appearance.

Putting two images or objects next to each other that normally would never be seen together, creating a new concept. Term describing the Surrealist practice of putting two different things side by side that do not normally go together. This creates a sense of shock and surprise in the viewer that Dalí and other Surrealists loved.

Turning something familiar to unusual or strange. A method used by the surrealist and mostly by Dalí to turn something familiar into something disturbing and with an unexpected appearance. A change in form or character; an object is transform into something else.