2. Surrealism
• Surrealism Movement was founded in Paris in 1924
• as a movement that relied on dreams, nightmares fantasy, images from the
subconscious.
• Surrealist means above and beyond reality as it is normally seen and
understood.
• Artists were interested in strange things that can happen.
• Humor was a part of the surrealism.
• Works can be a combination of objects and images which are absurd and very
funny, they believed that art did not have to be serious all the time
Subject Matter
• Objects rejected by society
• Objects in strange surroundings
• Unusual perspective/ barren landscapes sky
• Reflections and shadows do not have to be the same size as the objects
casting the shadows
• Effects of gravity
• Melting of objects/transforming/blending
Common Images
• Eyes ants, playing cards, snakes/reptiles, human body parts, skulls, skeleton, fish,
butterflies etc
14. James
Gleeson
•James Gleeson is regarded as the foremost Australian surrealist
painter and poet.
•His career spans from 1938 until the present day
•He was initially influenced by Dali
•As a war artist, he painted and drew scenes of battles, this may
have influenced his ‘warped’ images
Dali was concerned with the threat of war in Europe, the telephone represents the phone calls between chamberlain and Hitler which culminated in the short term Munich Agreement in Sept. 1938
