Key facts about Surrealism
Surrealism is a style of art inspired by dreams and hidden thoughts.
Surrealism started in Paris, France in the 1920s.
Salvador Dali is one of the most well-known Surrealist painters.
Other surrealist artists include Frida Kahlo, Rene Magritte, Dorothea Tanning and Max Ernst.
Surrealists believed that human beings should be free from the usual thoughts and rules of life. They would often play made-up games to help them feel more creative.
Examples of Surrealist paintings
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Activity - Heads, bodies and legs
The Surrealists had games and tricks that helped them to get in touch with their hidden creative ideas. One of these games is known as Heads, Bodies and Legs.
You might have played a drawing game like this before and not realised it was a Surrealist game.
You could play this game with a partner or in a small group. All you need is a sheet of paper folded into four and some drawing tools, such as pencils or felt-tips.
Each person takes turns to draw a part of the character in each section of the paper.
- Head and neck
- Arms and top of the body
- Legs
- Feet
The ideas should come from your imagination. They don't need to be realistic. Remember that your drawings can be strange and dream-like. They can be surreal.
Hide your drawings as you go, by folding the paper. Reveal the finished drawing at the end.
Did you know?
- The Surrealist movement was started by a French writer called Andr茅 Breton.
- The Surrealism art movement started after World War One.
- Some of the surrealist artists had fought in WW1 and making art helped them to deal with the difficult things they had seen and felt.
- Dali's famous painting The Persistence of Memory which includes clocks and watches that seem to be melting, has inspired many other artists.
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