Surrealism influenced by Sigmond Freud

The surrealism movement began in the 1920's, inspiring a variety of writers are Artists. In 1924, poet Andre Breton launched the movement in Paris and in 1936, it became an international movement. The movement was strongly influenced by the well-known neurologist, Sigmond Freud and his theories. There were two types of art within the Surrealism movement. One being the oneric, which was when artists used dream-like imagery within their work.  The other was Automatism, the style of creating work by unleashing the unconscious mind through drawing or writing. Salvador Dali and Max Ernst were amongst the main artists of this movement.

I have decided on,  Forgotten horizon,  1936 by Salvador Dali to show an example of Automatism in surrealism. this was one of a small series of oil paintings on a wood panel. The picture is a representation of the memories he had as a child, on the beach at Costa Brava. The figure  in the distance is his cousin,  where the dancing figures in the front were inspired by a postcard and were there to stimulate the imagination and subconscious.  Dali was  also intending the painting to be a hallucination with the feeling of a theatrical nature. The way the paint was  applied is an important factor in this painting paint as it has adds texture and form to the figures. Freud describes the unconscious mind to be " a cauldron of primitive wishes and impulse kept at bay ".  Dali has expressed this through the figures,revealing a half naked body while dancing on an empty beach scene. What makes this picture surreal,  is  the dancing figures, are not only the main focus of the picture,  but the only focal point in the picture. According to Freud, some of his patients found it difficult to acknowledge frightening or painful desires or certain events or situations. Maybe Dali decided to express his thoughts and feelings through this painting rather than in words. I also felt that Freud's theory on "the ego" was relevant in backing up the information in this picture. "The ego is that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world" Freud 1923, 1961, p25. This provides a depth into the thought process and feeling emotion behind the painting.

 Metamorphosis of Narcissus,  1937 by Salvador Dali, is an image  based on the Greek Myth of Narcissus. Dali paid close attention to detail so that his creation provided a hallucinatory effect to the transformation of Narcissus. By using two similar images,  Dali has shown his interest in hallucination and delusion in this painting.  This  relates to Freud's theory  of Automatism suggesting this is a piece of work created by the unconscious mind.

I have chosen, men shall know nothing of this 1923, by Max Ernst as an example of a dream-like state (oneric) in surrealism.  The image contains two pairs of legs in a sexual position raised above the ground.  The picture is not logical in the sense that this form would not happen in nature.  The painting was inspired by Sigmond Freud's study of the "delusions of a paranoiac Daniel Paul Schreber". It relates to Schreber fantasising about becoming a woman. Ernst also had a keen interest in  the thought processes of the insane and the way they saw reality. This helped guide him to produce such interesting work.
Since having a passion for psychology, I found it really interesting looking at Freud's theories and seeing how they have had such a large impact on the Surrealism movement.  There is so much information,  I wish I had the time to sit for a few days and absorb it all. Very fascinating.