Describe || Surrealism

-
Hello Netizens,

Surrealism was founded by the poet André Breton in 1924. It started as an artistic and literary movement. Surrealism suggested that the Enlightenment movement had restrained the superior features of irrational unconscious mind, and it's goal is to free the mind and the human experience from the suppressive limitations or rationalism.






Breton was very knowledge in the  psychoanalytical writings of Sigmund Freud and he had studied psychiatry and medicine. He was specifically interested in the concept that the unconscious mind -which is the source of dream- is where artistic creativity comes from. Breton considered surrealism to be a revolutionary movement that is able to free the human mind from the rational view or order of society. But how could an individual achieve this freedom of mind? 

Automatism 

Automatism is the practice of free association or a stream of consciousness, which gave surrealists a way to channel their unconscious artwork. André Masson's, a surrealist artist, mixed media painting Battle of Fishes (1926) is a a great early example of automatic painting. He created his artwork by first, taking gesso and allowing it to freely fall on the surface of the canvas. After that, he threw sand over it, and when it dried, he drew and painted around the forms created. 

Artists who used the automatic method to create their artworks were pretty welcoming to the idea of chance.  The artwork Battle of Fishes consisted of two prehistoric fishes with their jaws dripping blood, surrounded by mountains. The painting illustrates the inherent violence of nature. 

Battle of Fishes by André Masson 

Frida Kahlo 

Frida Kalo was born on July 6, 1907, in Coyocoán, Mexico City, Mexico. She was a Mexican self-portrait painter, and she is still admired till this very day as a feminist icon. 


One third of Kahlo's paintings are self portraits, and due to her being the subject of many of her paintings, her became as iconic as her work. Her works were extremely political and personal and they reflected her personal life - her relationship with Diego Rivera, a revolutionary muralist and a Communist. Kahlo's life and art was dedicated to the Mexican Revolution and everything her artworks provokes. Moreover, her style of painting has been widely recognised and she has been considered to be a realist by Rivera, and a Surrealist by  André Breton. However, Kahlo prefers not to label herself as she said, "I paint my own reality."



Frida Kahlo, Diego on my mind (Self-portrait as Tehuana), 1943

Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait on the Border Line Between Mexico and the United States 1932

Kahlo health issues became premenant in 1950, after being diagnosed with gangrene located in her right foot. She had multiple operations around that time, and spent 9 months in the hispital. Nevertheless, she has continued to paint through her illness, despite being limited with her mobility. Kahlo had her first solo exihibiton in Mexico in 1953, and although she was bedridden she hasn't missed her exihibition's opening. She had arrived to the opening using an ambulance and spent her time celebrating with the attendees. Her joy begun disappearing after her right leg was amputated to stop the spread of gangrene.

Kahlo left the world on the 13 of June, 1954, a week after her 47th birthday. 






References: 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review || Frida Kahlo: A Spiritual Biography by Jack Rummel

-
Image
Hello Beautiful people,  I first came to know about Frida Khalo, through my studies in University. I had to write an essay about Surrealism, and she was one of the artists that popped up during my research. When I read about Khalo online, I have become interested in her artworks and in her, the artist. To know more about Frida Khalo, I decided to read this biography about her life, art and country. The biography also tries to show a spiritual side to Frida Khalo and her artworks, although she was an atheist. The writing in this biography is fun to read through, and I simply found myself flying through it. I am always worried I might not end up finishing a nonfiction book, because of the writing style, however, in this one, all my worries were gone. The writer manages to hold my interest and make me enjoy reading the book. Although it is a biography about Frida Khalo, it also covers the political situation of Mexico (and the world), and relates it to Khalo's beliefs a
Read more

Book Review || Behind the Scenes: Avant-Garde Techniques of Contemporary Design

-
Image
Hello Beautiful People,  A while ago I've picked up this book on architecture and design from the library, and I finally finished reading it now. The topic interested me, and I thought I would find something useful for my major (I am taking Industrial Design). The book started on a good note, talking about CAD, the software used and how they function. I find the later unnecessary, nevertheless, it is great to read about if you don't know how the software processes your inputs. The book slowly progresses toward techniques architects have used to create their designs. it is interesting, but so much of what is tackled in the book I already knew about. Especially the second half. The book switches to discuss topics such as; interface design, interactivity and VR, which isn't why I have picked this book up for . Moreover, everything the book mentions about VR is generally known knowledge, but written obnoxiously. The writing style makes the book an extreme
Read more

Book Review || The A.B.C Murders by Agatha Christie

-
Image
Hello Netizens,  Recently I have read the A.B.C Murders by Agatha Christie, as a way for me to see if Agatha's book are my cup of tea. I have read previously 'Murder on the Orient Express' and I wasn't pleased at all with the ending.  Let me first introduce you to the book. Title: The A.B.C. Murders  Author: Agatha Christie Genre: Crime/Mystery Synopsis:  When Alice Ascher is murdered in Andover, Hercule Poirot is already on to the clues. Alphabetically speaking, it's one down, twenty-five to go. Rating: (4/5) Stars Review:   This book is a crime mystery about a serial killer, that murders their victims alphabetically. The story is told from the perspective of Hasting, however, sometimes it would switch to an unknown narrator. I was a little confused at the beginning with narrative, because it didn't follow the same narrative style in 'Muder on the Orient Express.' The characters in this story are well fleshed, considering
Read more