What did Surrealist artists try to express in their work?

Question

Simple

Answer 1

Simply, A different view of reality.

Answer 2

Surrealism is a movement stating that the liberation of our mind, and subsequently the liberation of the individual self and society, can be achieved by exercising the imaginative faculties of the "unconscious mind" to the attainment of a dream-like state different from, or ultimately ‘truer’ than, everyday reality.

Surrealists believe that this more truthful reality can bring about personal, cultural, and social revolution, and a life of freedom, poetry, and uninhibited sexuality. André Breton said that such a revealed truth would be beatific, or in his own words, "beauty will be convulsive or not at all."

In general usage, the term Surrealism is more often considered a movement in visual arts than the original cultural and philosophical movement. As with some other movements that had both philosophical and artistic dimensions, such as romanticism and the relationship between the two usages is complex and a matter of some debate outside the movement. Many Surrealist artists regarded their work as an expression of the philosophical movement first and foremost, and Breton was explicit in his belief that Surrealism was above all a revolutionary movement.

Answer 3

Surrealism is a form of abstract work. Artists such as Salvador Dali used their work as a way of representingthe unconcious mind. They did this through a dream like representation. Surrealists believe the concious brings out the real person and their thoughts. Surrealism was a reaction to the philosophy of rationalism, which many felt had caused, through the Industrial Revolution, the disaster of World War I. Artists believed that art as access to the unconscious was more "real" or "true" than rationalist art works. Automatic drawing and writing, in which the artist holds a pencil and tries to clear away the thoughts of the conscious mind, then simply allow the pencil to flow, was considered the closest approach to the unconscious.

Answer 4

You cannot apply a what question universally to such a collective of artists...each expressed unique (different) points of view in common dream-like painting styles. That is like asking what did Impressionists try to express. Monet, Degas and Van Gogh may be of similiar genres but they did not attempt to express the same things, nor did they collaborate except in some instances to discuss their new technique. That is the how, the typical application of quick dabs of color, based on a fleeting light source. Surrealists, using a dream state point of view (the how), had differing thoughts and ideas and choices of subjects...each expressing the "what" individually and independently.

Answer 5

They were simply trying to show what any artist would, their feelings and opinions of the world, a permanence of the way they saw life. They just felt that reality was too confining a medium to work in. Salvador Dali said something like "The one thing the world will never have enough of is the Absurd".

Answer 6

Surrealism - a reaction to representational art - tried to show the fantasy of everyday objects, and also proved groundbreaking in that ordinary objects such as spectacles or even toilet-bowls could BE art.
The surrealists were rebels against tradition and wished to show alternative ways to produce art. In this, they succeeded, half a century before "installation" or "Pop" art.

Answer 7

I think that the Surrealists like the Dadaists, tried to attack the idea that there was such a thing as an everyday reality, by depicting "everyday" objects, environments in unusual contexts.

Answer 8

I agree with the first person; it would be impossible to tell. There's just no way to know how many pieces an artist created. Some may have been stolen, attributed to other artists, or destroyed over the years.

Answer 9

I am a big fan of Salvador Dali.
I had read about quotes that he had said.
He did not mention much about his painting, but as one of the answer said, Surrealism is considered as a movement,so what they express in their painting has no difference with what classical painters express.

Answer 10

surrealists work was to tell us.. hey! im a normal person but on the flipside i have stange dreams and odd fears but somehow i still manage to get through everyday without killing someone