Surrealist Mixed Media
In the wake of World War I’s ravaging of Europe, artists delved into the unconscious mind to confront and grapple with this reality. Poet and critic André Breton, a leader of the Surrealist movement who authored the 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, called this approach “a violent reaction against the impoverishment and sterility of thought processes that resulted from centuries of rationalism.” Surrealist art emerged in the 1920s 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 for reenvisioning 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 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, all of whom had a distinct perspective on reimagining reality and freeing the unconscious mind from the conventions and restrictions of rational thought. Pablo Picasso showed some of his works in “La Peinture Surréaliste” — the first collective exhibition of Surrealist painting — which opened at Paris’s Galerie Pierre in November of 1925. (Although Magritte is best known as one of the visual Surrealist movement’s most talented practitioners, his famous 1943 painting, The Fifth Season, can be interpreted as a formal break from Surrealism.)
The outbreak of World War II led many in the movement to flee Europe for the Americas, further spreading Surrealism abroad. Generations of modern and contemporary artists were subsequently influenced by the richly symbolic and unearthly imagery of Surrealism, from Joseph Cornell to Arshile Gorky.
Find a collection of original Surrealist paintings, sculptures, prints and multiples and more art on 1stDibs.
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1930s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
1930s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Woodcut
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Drypoint, Etching, Aquatint
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Glitter, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Wood, Acrylic
1950s Surrealist Mixed Media
Ceramic
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Varnish, Mixed Media, Screen, Stencil
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint, Lithograph
1930s Surrealist Mixed Media
Clay, Glass, Paper, Found Objects, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Glitter, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A woman's face with downcast eyes emerges in a vibrant collage. Her expression is peaceful yet intense. Intricate patterns, dots, and botanical elements surroun...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Early 2000s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Two faces merge into a surreal portrait. Botanical accents, organic patterns, and whimsical motifs add a vibrant and mysterious energy to the piece. Artist Da...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Archival Paper
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1990s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper
Late 20th Century Surrealist Mixed Media
Acrylic, Graphite, Watercolor
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1940s Surrealist Mixed Media
Leather, Gouache, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1960s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Graphite
Early 2000s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Acrylic, Canvas
Artist Comments
Artist Drew McSherry pictures an enigmatic profile of a face. It appears to be a creature with its mouth agape. His process begins with loose sketching and blotting to achieve a smudged effect. Drew layers pastel over the work to enrich the darker colors.
About the Artist
Drew McSherry finds inspiration in the paranormal and the darker parts of life. His images contain a sense of the macabre and oftentimes feel fantastical. He currently lives in California and has been influenced by artists like Eug;ne Carri;re and Odilon Redon. Fun fact: when he;s not painting, he is working on a series of children;s books.
Words that describe this painting: death, scary, pastel, charcoal, paper, horror, skull, monster, portrait, profile, mixed media, vertical, surrealism, people, small, drawing, people, surrealism, mixed media artwork, brown
Death Head...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Oil, Wood Panel
1960s Surrealist Mixed Media
Metal
Artist Comments
The world that I live in is uncertain, unstable, but I have to keep going and find something that can comfort me. This work is talking about the uncomfortable moment, but hopeful future, at the same time. This piece is made by layering Korean mulberry paper on a wooden panel with homemade flour glue. Then I apply a glue base. Next, I draw my sketch, and trace it on the paper. Then I paint three or four layers of a background color using pigments and glue base. Lastly, I paint the animal subject in fine detail, which takes most of time. The painting is on a cradled wood panel with finished edges. It comes ready to hang.
About the Artist
Heejin has been been drawing for as long as she can remember. She grew up with a serious illness and spent much of her childhood in the hospital. Drawing served as an outlet for her, bringing her peace and distraction. Heejin says there was no doubt as she grew up that she wanted to be an artist. She studied oriental painting extensively as a college student in South Korea and then went on to study art therapy in graduate school.
Where Is It? l
Heejin Sutton...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Drypoint, Etching, Stencil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Ink, Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
1990s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Cardboard
1980s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Wood, Mixed Media, Screen
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Epoxy Resin, Oil
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Wood, Screen
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Epoxy Resin, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Surrealist Mixed Media
Etching, Aquatint, Lithograph
1960s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper, Ink, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Silk
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Paper
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Two faces merge into a surreal portrait. Botanical accents, organic patterns, and whimsical motifs add a vibrant and mysterious energy to the piece. Artist Da...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
1980s Surrealist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Board