Over the course of history, art has changed along with the people involved. This year marks the 100th year anniversary of a very special type of art known as Surrealism. Surrealism itself was and is a 20th-century movement in art and literature which depicts the creative potential of the unconscious mind. It began in Paris 1924 to today. 

It is a style in art and literature in which images and objects are combined in a strange way, like in a dream. Dreams can at times turn into nightmares, however dreams can also lift us up and give us hope, dreams can transform us into something better. The point is that dreams can be interpreted in a multitude of ways which is what makes surrealism so special because of the amount of creative freedom that comes with it, and how different artists experiment and create amazing works of art to express and share with the world. Surrealism showed art lovers around the world the idea that the subconscious mind can be a source of inspiration and art. Surrealism is one of the few movements in history that have had such a long lasting standing legacy and a reason for this is because surrealism has changed our manner and way of thinking. 

Psychology plays an important role in surrealism as seen in Sigmund Freud’s theories in which Freud claims that the adult personality consists of 3 aspects, one being the id, which controls the unconscious source of bodily needs, emotional impulses, and wants, but also aggression. Two, the ego which is the only part of the conscious personality and this is how the person views themselves and attempts to reflect on others. Finally, 3 which is the superego, the superego develops during early childhood and assists with distincting right from wrong which is typically learned from the person’s parents. The superego motivates us to behave in a respectable and responsible way in society. As can be seen, surrealism has been heavily influenced by these theories which depict the psychology behind dreams and the subconscious. 

Artists over time have created amazing and inspirational works that most people don’t realize is actually a form of Surrealism. Out of the multiple artists that have contributed to history and surrealism, this essay will be discussing famous surrealist artists such as, Frida Khalo, Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, and Man Ray. 

Man Ray once said, “I paint what cannot be photographed, that which comes from the imagination or from dreams, or from an unconscious drive”(Ray 1938 Art News interview). This quote demonstrates how psychology is a crucial part of creating surrealist artwork. According to Man Ray, his role as a surrealist artist was to express that of which cannot

be seen but only imagined. This is significant because it paints the picture that surrealism is not just a form of art, but a creative way that other people can express their ideas.

Similarly, Salvador Dali believed in the importance of surrealism. Salvador Dali once stated, “Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision” (Dali 1936 in an interview with Le Surréalisme au Service de la Révolution). This statement depicts how surrealism can be considered an escape from the confines of the real world and a way to express oneself. Furthermore, this proves surrealism can be used as an escape from reality or a coping mechanism and a different way for artists to express themselves since Dali often made artworks about his brother who was born October 12th, 1901 who later died on August 1st, 1903 who he felt he was close to. 

Another artist that influenced surrealism during their time period was Frida Khalo. Khalo once said, “I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality” (Khalo 1938 interview with the New York Times). This illustrates that surrealism was not just a form of art but also a way of life to some of these artists such as Frida. This can be seen throughout Frida’s life in how her mannerism changed and evolved, especially after her grave bus accident when she was 18. Khalo actually didn’t plan to be an artist, however due to her polio and bus accident, she spent most of her time in bed which is why art and surrealism is such a big deal for people like Frida. 

Finally, one last artist that contributed to the history of surrealism was Rene Magritte. Magritte once stated, “To be a surrealist means barring from your mind all remembrance of what you have seen, and being always on the lookout for what has never been.” (Magritte in an interview published in Le Figaro on May 15, 1936). This quote depicts just how impactful surrealism is in the lives of artists such as Rene because surrealism changes the manner and way of our thinking. This is important because these artists had to take risks by forgetting practically everything they know about art to express themselves through surrealism, especially Rene Magritte. Margritte already had a rough childhood, which isn’t a choice but just another rough condition he had to endure. He also had 2 other brothers and grew up with his mom, but at the age of 13, his mother committed suicide. Magritte took multiple big risks that could have been career ending, for instance he dropped out of school at age 15, he enjoyed provoking people too later in his life, when he came into contact with French surrealists and by rolling his r’s to annoy them. Although he had a difficult youth, he was able to utilize and express himself through artwork and surrealism, like all these other artists. 

Surrealism is more than just a different type of art, but a culture or way of living. I can’t express it enough on just how impactful surrealism is to history and all of mankind. Similar to food, art can bring people together and have peace where different cultures from different people with different backgrounds can share their ideas and beliefs. Surrealism is exceptionally good at bringing people together to provoke people to really think about what they’re looking at. Also, previously mentioned, the unique dream-like style that is surrealism is part of what makes it so special and why it has lasted this long. Not purely just surrealism, but all art in general, is a creative way to unite people together which I think is something that should be done more often, since in today’s time, there’s way too much hatred, violence, and corruption going on. Mankind should dream more.