The Two Faces of Surrealism: Illusionism and Automatism

The Surrealist movement began in the late 1920s and early 1930s as a literary movement.  Surrealism was unified under several underlying themes.  These included the importance of dreams, free association and juxtaposition, and emphasis on the illogical.  Eventually, visual artists began to employ the Surrealist philosophy and motif.  The Surrealist art movement consisted of two different methods, Illusionism and Automatism.

Art by Franky Agostino

Illusionism

Illusionism attempted to create dreamlike paintings that used aspects of realism in an attempt to recreate the pseudo-realistic quality of dreams.  Illusionism usually incorporated aspects of realism, such as anatomy and still life. However, anatomy and body parts were usually exaggerated and morphed.  Many times limbs and appendages were elongated.  Bodies seemed to melt into other planes of existence, while seemingly unrelated objects would be juxtaposed.  Artists commonly placed in this branch of Surrealism include, Salvador Dali and Yves Tanguy. 

Thumbprint Gallery artists, Franky Agostino, Jimmy Ovadia, and David Joseph Gough may also be placed in this style of Surrealism, due to their use of anatomy and other elements of realism.  Agostino and Ovadia were Thumbprint Gallery’s featured artists in December 2010.  Agostino names Dali as one of his main influences.  Gough was featured in Thumbprint Gallery during March 2010. These three artists are examples of Illusionism’s influence on the contemporary art world.

Automatism

Automatism was created directly from automatic writing, which was a staple technique of the Surrealist literary movement.  In automatic writing, the author writes whatever comes to mind no matter how absurd. Words were juxtaposed without any logical connections, which inspired Illusionism’s free association of seemingly unrelated objects.  However, unlike Illusionism, Automatism ignored realism’s influences and instead drew more from expressionism and abstract expressionism.  Some well-known automatist artists were Joan Miro and Andre Masson.

Surrealism Today

Surrealism’s influence on the art world has been profound, with many contemporary artists incorporating the movement’s ideas and techniques.  Thumbprint Gallery has showcased various examples of contemporary Surrealism, such as Agostino, Ovadia, and Gough.  In Thumbprint Gallery’s upcoming show, “Volition Era,” San Diego artist Jordan Josafat will be putting his own spin on the surrealist motif.   The exhibition is set to start on February 12 and will run through March 6 at Thumbprint Gallery in North Park.   

Sources

Understanding Art by Lois Fichner-Rathus, published in 1998.