Surrealist Photography

“The Persistence of Memory”, Salvador Dali, 1931

Dates: 1924 - 1966

Notable Artists: Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte

Characteristics:

• element of surprise and unexpected juxtapositions

• expose psychological truth by stripping ordinary objects of their normal significance

created compelling images that were beyond ordinary formal organization

“The Elephant Celebes”, Max Ernst, 1921

“Indefinite Divisibility”, Yves Tanguy, 1942

a combination of the depictive, the abstract, and the psychological

images were dream-like and unexpected

“Edward James”, Rene Magritte, 1937

“Swans Reflecting Elephants”, Salvador Dali, 1937

Surrealist Photography

Student Exemplars

Surrealist Photography

Objective:• to study art history, take influence from it & show that influence in your work

• study and analyze Surrealism paying attention to style, themes, subject matter, concepts, etc.

• take your simple photographs to a new and exciting level

Sketchbook – Part 1:Research Surrealism and complete the following:Dates Surrealism began/was predominant and ended.Area of the world Surrealism took place and was founded.What was happening in history that influenced Surrealism?What was the philosophy of the artists? Why did they make art in this style?List 3 FAMOUS artists from this art movement.What materials and mediums were used?What about Surrealism do you find appealing? What do you dislike?4-6 images of work, from the artists listed above, that you like and could influence your own work. Find images on the Internet, print them and put them in sketchbook. Each image should include: the title, the artist’s name, and the year it was created.

Sketchbook – Part 2:Brainstorm ideas and direction for your photo piece in your sketchbook. Consider subject matter, concepts, style, composition, and themes.

Generate a list of ideas and photos you could take to meet this assignment criteria.

You should have at least 3 ideas in your sketchbook. These should be specific & detailed.

Half of your sketchbook grade is your planning and brainstorming to develop your idea.

What You’ll Do:Shoot new pictures, a minimum of 40, specifically for this assignment.

You may use images from previous assignments, but you should still shoot and use new images.

Create your own final Surrealist piece using your photos and Photoshop.

Due Dates:Sketchbooks: 50 points* See sketchbook pages for details & requirementsWednesday, January 6th

Contact Sheet (no 2 best): 40 pointsTuesday, January 12th  Final Surrealism Photo: 100 pointsThursday, January 14th