So, I asked myself the question – did surrealism “as a distinct cultural movement” really end? Many art historians say that the movement was over in 1966 with the death of Andre Breton, but I’m skeptical. Maybe surrealism is less distinct today, but that is only because it is even more present in pop culture.
Surrealism is about turning ideas and perception on its head. Images that are absurd, shocking, and don’t make rational sense are placed side by side to play with our unconscious minds. Effective surrealist art shakes us out of our comfort zone and draws us closer to our dreams and fantasies. Any medium of art can use surrealism.
I’m going to talk about movies again, because I like movies and because surrealist film is everywhere. The most famous surrealist director today is David Lynch, but Charlie Kaufman is also a surrealist master. Check out his latest film “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” on Netflix. What makes it surrealist? It blurs the line between then and now, us and them, old and young. It will leave you feeling confused and frustrated. I won’t say more.
