The Persistence of Memory, 1931 Salvador Dali

The Persistence of Memory, 1931
Salvador Dalí

The Persistence of Memory is undoubtedly the most famous Surrealist painting in history. The dripping clocks reflect the inner workings of Dalí’s subconscious and convey a simple message: time as we know it is meaningless.

What really is Surrealist art? It’s about symbols, dreams, the unconscious, perceiving things differently.

All of us have practiced the art of Surrealism when gazing at stucco on a wall, or clouds in the sky, and seeing different shapes and visages hidden therein.

The Son of Man, 1964 Rene Magritte

The Son of Man, 1964
René Magritte

Behind the apple in Magritte’s surreal self-portrait, we have only a brief glimpse of the eye in the corner of the face. We want to see that face.

Magritte stated that “Everything we see hides another thing. We always want to see what is hidden by what we see.”

The Red Tower, 1913 Giorgio de Chirico

The Red Tower, 1913
Giorgio de Chirico

De Chirico’s use of color and composition reflect brooding moods and surreal landscapes.

Surrealist art. Complicated? Yes and no.

When next you are gazing at a painting and the words…fantastic, absurd, grotesque, hidden, erotic, bizarre, dreamlike…pop into your head, it is probably a piece of Surrealist art.

This video of Surrealist art and Bob Hope will make you laugh out loud! Click here if you are unable to view the video.

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