SURREALISM

P a u l K l e e — F o r e s t W i t c h e s ( 1 9 3 8 )

The first years of the 1900s were a massive flood of art, literature, philosophical and political thought. Society was driven by their interest to explore and invest further. One person who shaped this time a lot was an Austrian guy called Sigmund Freud—he was a neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis. In many of his writings, he reflected on the human being and what is going on inside our brain. Today he is famous for his associations with dreams and their meaning, but back then, he was starting a little rebellion, when more people learned through him about higher forms of truth are to be discovered in the unconscious.

This not alone, but also the aftermath of a horrible world war, made people start to wish on escaping reality and really exploring what is out there. Society was thirsty to rebel, too, breaking free from patterns, and explore what the unconscious might want to tell us. More and more artists, writer, and creatives, started to deal more with their dreams, escaping in their perfect dream world and helped freeing their psyche to reach full fulfillment of their creative potential. A movement that spread fast through Europe, inspring and showing abstract and new forms which were unknown. Letting emotions and feelings speak—escaping from today and just listening to what feels good to oneself. This is something we can definitely learn from Surrealism art. It might be crazy, maybe a little too abstract for some, but actually it is the perfect visual therapy to let go of ballast and frustration and just let creativity in again. This creative world is all about letting go, feeling deeply, and living with your own standards and the things that make you happy. Setting yourself free or at least escaping to a comfort zone you can visit when feeling sad. Maybe you will find a little inspiration from Surrealist artists and painters, having a special painting which can always pick you up when feeling sad and depressed. Even further than that, you can challange yourself and feel inspired to be your own Surrealist artist by drawing and imitating the art of the big players from back in the day. Escape reality for a little bit and enjoy the ride with all the brushes and colorful strokes.

• dreamy scenes • unexpected and unlogical scenarios • spontaneous expression • playful painting to create effects • iconography • taboo topics, such a sexual context • childish designs