“The object was a collage in three dimensions” Surrealist artists used materials that were not normally considered suitable for art, often in combination with conventional paints. They used debris and waste products of society, items from lost property departments and Flea Markets – box of glass eyes, a mouldering stuffed eagle gorging on its prey, a fibreglass leg and false teeth. Artists such as Man Ray e

The Surrealists were committed to non-rationality as an ideal for all their actions, including their creation. They were angry at society and were determined to make their lives the instrument for ridiculing society. They protested against social structures such as the Catholic church. However, Surrealism itself had a structure of its own, ironically, much in common with the Catholic church. They had dogmas, rituals, saints, baptisms and their own Pope, namely Andre Breton. The Surrealists were a community and created a world of their own “that was ruled by the irrational, the magical and the instinctive.” They even had a map of their new country in which the countries were redrawn to scale of Surrealist interest. Therefore, despite shunning rationality, the Surrealists contradicted themselves by creating this structure which stands in opposition to their original motivations.

It is obvious that Surrealism is a movement that was composed of many facets, from the power of dreams, the importance of sexuality to the defiance of rationalism. Surrealism, however, wasn’t simply a form of art expression but the Surrealism artworks that were produced were symbolic of the artist’s personal experiences too. Some examples include, Dali’s Aphrodisiac Jacket and Oppenheim’s Fur Breakfast both expressing the artists’ perception of sexuality. However, Surrealism, did in fact attempt to awaken society to the destruction of rationality that had culminated in the horrors of World War I. It influenced artists from places as far from Paris as Russia, Japan, South America and Australia. It no doubt serves as a reminder that art is a complex and intriguing form of communication and if effective can connote political, social, philosophical or personal issues.

The box object comprises of many elements arranged together in a box. The most famous artist who used this technique was Joseph Cornell. His glazed boxes, with bottoms lined with newspapers or astronomical prints, contain flasks, glasses, crystal c

Some topics in this essay:
Andre Breton, Functioning Symbolically, Breton Surrealists, Object Grill, Artists Ray, Independents’ Exhibition, Breakfast Oppenheim, Milo Drawers, Joseph Cornell, Robert Hughes, found object, socially philosophically aesthetically, oppenheim’s fur breakfast, philosophically aesthetically, socially philosophically, fur breakfast, venus de, de milo, symbolically functioning object, functioning object, politically socially philosophically, found objects, dali’s aphrodisiac jacket, surrealist object, symbolically functioning,