Paper 1, Draft 1
The Dream from Surrealists
Surrealism depicts a cultural concept with visual art and writings in the 1920s. The artwork sought to distinguish dreams and reality in the painting techniques that permit an unconscious expression. The artists that apply this technique consider their work as an element of the philosophical movement. Andre Breton claims that surrealism is a revolutionary movement that creates strange illusionary objects. Surrealism develops from Dada activities in the course of First World War in Paris, France. The artistic concept spread to other parts of the world to affect the philosophy, film, music, and visual arts. Artists in Paris engaged with Dada with the rational believe of conflict across the world. Those that support Dada protest against other artistic concepts. For example, Breton uses Sigmund Freud methods of psychoanalysis in clinical practice. The Dada movement depicts a rejection of the artist towards the impending issue of war and the life in general in that era. The artist shows that the European culture loses meaning that lead to the creation of no art. Artists reject the traditional art as Dada stands against violence and protest. The movement starts in Europe so as to ensure less violence and more artistic based.
The surrealist art movement defines change in the era of 1920s. The movement combines some of the elements of cubism and dada to create a complex form of art in the world. The ambiguous artwork translated to its rejection by artists while its eccentric techniques and concepts led to a new form of art.
The reason of this movement emerging is destruction from war, which it made many people lose faith of the traditional concept, so they need a new way to replace it. Even though, surrealism did not exist a long time, but the effect of surrealism keep for ages. There are some achievers in surrealism, for instance, Andre Masson, Paul Delvaux, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, and Max Ernst and so on.
Paul Delvaux is a Belgian artist (1897-1994) that designs oil on canvas in The Awakening of The Forest. The painter adopts surrealism as a visual art and illusion of childhood memories. The artist transforms the episode of Verne in the Journey to the Centre of the Earth to discover the forest in earth. Delvaux examines the fossil that occur on the Axel so as to resemble the artist. The women stand in the full moon in the foreground and automation in the background. The Awakening of the Forest is one of famous paintings from Delvaux. Delvaux completed this painting in 1939, and the main parts of this painting were the naked woman like he always doing, but some of the people are dressed. The Awakening of the Forest is huge piece drawing, and the size is 170.2x 225.4cm. There is a man who wears the dress suit. His left hand hold up his eyeglass, and the right one holds his hand, as if he is checking some things. The woman with a red robe behind this man provides a contrast with the naked woman. Also, there is a woman dress similar on the left side of the painting. This piece uses atmospheric perceptive technique that Delvaux make evident in this work. Specifically, there are four naked peoples in the foreground. On the left side, two women stand on the ground, and one of them puts her right hand on her breast. The other woman clutches the tree. On the right side, there are two men; one lies down on a huge leaf. One is fluting. There is a woman who is climbing between these two men. Also, there is a group of naked people in the background. Delvaux uses the different size of the figure to represent the distance. This painting has a little difference between others he made which use the classic building on the background. This one’s inspiration is from the nature, so he put the figure in the nature with trees, flowers and leaves. Therefore, the main hue of this painting is nature color, such as black and green. Meanwhile, he uses the complementary color red on the flowers, and use skin color to illumine the black and green in this painting.
In my view, the best point in this painting is that Delvaux used real color and shape to create abstract sense. Even though, this drawing has many people, all of the people symbolize himself. Because this piece has different sex and pose but has same appearance and status, which is slender body, big dull eyes and light skin. Different from other surrealists, Delvaux abandons the vivid color to focus detail. This method makes viewers do not focus for the color’s analysis rather than the story of each person. The man in the left corner is same as Delvaux in the real world. So from my point, all of the things without this man in this painting are Delvaux’s dreams. These figures describe his past, present and future. Simultaneously, this painting like a song filled with rhythm. The combine of song and dream, the combine of the dream and painting make this piece flow. The figure in this painting represents the author tracing his life. Besides, viewers’ eyes follow these figures and go into a dream from Delvaux. In sum, this is the core of surrealism, which is let you as a child, and to discover the real and original thought.
