When did Surrealism start? DISABLED for question id 1901462

Surrealism started in the 1920s. It emerged with dreamlike and uncanny imagery guided by a variety of techniques — such as automatic drawing, which can be likened to a stream of consciousness — to channel psychological experiences. Although Surrealism was a groundbreaking approach for European art, its practitioners were inspired by Indigenous art and ancient mysticism to reenvision how sculptures, paintings, prints, performance art and more could respond to the unsettled world around them. Surrealist artists were also informed by the Dada movement, which originated in 1916 in Zurich and embraced absurdity over the logic that had propelled modernity into violence. Some of the Surrealists had witnessed this firsthand, such as Max Ernst, who served in the trenches during World War I, and Salvador Dalí, whose otherworldly paintings and other work responded to the dawning civil war in Spain. Other key artists associated with the revolutionary art and literary movement included Man Ray, Joan Miró, René Magritte, Yves Tanguy, Frida Kahlo and Meret Oppenheim. On 1stDibs, explore a collection of Surrealist art.