Surrealism

Dada, the nihilistic precursor of Surrealism, was deliberately anti-art and anti-sense, intended to outrage and scandalize. Characteristic of it were Marcel Duchamp's 'readymades' - everyday objects elevated to the status of art by the mere decision of the artist to call them such - or his reproduction of the Mona Lisa decorated with a moustache and an obscene caption. As Dada burnt itself out, Surrealism was born, chiefly through the efforts of the writer André Breton. In both literature and painting Surrealism explores the same themes: the exaltation of dreams, the love of madness and revolt. De Chirico painted landscapes which provoke disorientation in the viewer.

New materials were called into service to aid the discovery of the unusual: collages of photos and illustrations, or the rubbing of textures, by Max Ernst; splashes of ink and automatic drawing by André Masson. Miró revealed the mysteries and qualities of the void by placing just a few traces or ideograms on a canvas. Meanwhile Magritte and Tanguy painted in a much more traditional, meticulously illusionistic manner, but created images that are fantastical, alogical. Dali's techniques were similar, yet his intentions were more extreme and outrageous; and following the Surrealist dictum, 'art is an attitude of mind,' he was as provocative in his lifestyle as in his paintings. As the Second World War approached, many of the movement's artists fled to America. The Surrealist spirit was never so intense again. Also features the work of Balla, Arp, Schwitters, Picabia and many others.

Part of the series The Adventure of Modern Art