Surrealist More Art
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.
Artist Comments
Drawing inspiration from her move from the Midwest to Florida, artist Kat Ailver paints a whimsical blend of seahorses and bunnies. The different shades of peac...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A mesmerizing underwater scene comes to life where an enchanting mix of sea creatures, humans, and scuba bunnies coexist in perfect harmony. The submerged world...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Inspired by her relocation from the Midwest to Florida, artist Kit Silver paints a whimsical fusion of seahorses and bunnies. The warm hues and intricate detail...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The artwork reflects on the abundance of wildlife in Florida and the constant struggle humans face in controlling nature. Dominating the scene, a giant egret hovers over houses while alligators lurk in the water, signifying the untamable wildness of the environment.
About the Artist
Artist Kat Silver paints surrealist compositions with a whimsical and satirical approach. She draws inspiration from the imagery of her dreams and the symbolisms present in her surroundings. The image of the rabbit has become an important character and signature in Kat's work. For her, they represent power and taking control of one's life. Through her art, she invites the viewer to question the mundanity of daily existence and embrace the magic within them. "I believe human beings have a lot we can learn from nature," says Kat. "If we watch and listen to the earth and all its creatures, we can learn to fully enjoy our lives instead of being caught up in materialism, drama, and stress." Kat started to paint when she was seven years old, with her uncle as her teacher. She received her BA in Painting at Nazareth College in 2001 and succeedingly studied at Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she mastered Art Therapy. Kat works in her home studio on a small desk strewn with supplies—surrounded by walls adorned with artwork that inspires her. Beyond her studio, Kat feeds her soul in nature, exploring wooded parks, forests, oceans, and streams. She often goes to antique shops to spark her creativity.
Words that describe this painting: Florida, wildlife, swamp, surreal, surrealism...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
1920s Surrealist More Art
Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Diane Flick presents a glimpse into someone else's image of utopia. "Colonel Picklebottom's otherworldly dream persists only to exist," says Diane. In th...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
In this piece, artist Julia Hacker creates a whimsical and vivid dreamscape of a desert. "It invites you to lose yourself in its charming portrayal of nature," ...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Diane Flick paints a surrealist scene of home appliances descending the sky in parachutes. The first in her playful Anthromorphic Vintage Appliance series. "They love, they ponder, they tire, they argue, they weave intricate and colorful tapestries, and they skydive," narrates Diane. She depicts a vivid, calm, and symmetrically centered visual style drawing influence from Wes Anderson.
About the Artist
Diane Flick is a Bay Area artist who paints quirky portraits of robots with a playful color palette and masterful realism. Each of Diane’s robots expresses its own humanlike and idiosyncratic personality. From an early age, she had a fascination with inanimate objects and often imagined what they would be like with human characteristics. Her portfolio explores the human experience through non-human subjects.
Words that describe this painting: parachuting, parachute, refrigerator, phone, telephone, television, vintage, appliances, Wes Anderson, sky, calm, serene, surrealism, silly, Eric Joyner...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
“Curiouser and curiouser,†quotes artist Diane Flick. In her playful and whimsical style, Diane pictures a blender with the limbs of a human and the crown of an animal. The anthropomorphic creature embodies the same comfort from its heart and breathes deeply in the warm, rhythmic, and glorious world. It perches on a pillow situated on a pine tree growing sideways from the dark cerulean sky.
About the Artist
Diane Flick is a Bay Area artist who paints quirky portraits of robots with a playful color palette and masterful realism. Each of Diane’s robots expresses its own humanlike and idiosyncratic personality. From an early age, she had a fascination with inanimate objects and often imagined what they would be like with human characteristics. Her portfolio explores the human experience through non-human subjects.
Words that describe this painting: blender, vintage, appliance, meditate, meditating, peace, calm, serene, serenity, sky, redwood, tree, pillow, comfortable, comfort, Eric Joyner...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Surrealist More Art
Paper
2010s Surrealist More Art
Mixed Media
2010s Surrealist More Art
Board, Oil
2010s Surrealist More Art
Pastel, Oil, Cotton Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
2010s Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
1930s Surrealist More Art
Oil
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Ceramic, Acrylic
2010s Surrealist More Art
Oil, Board
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
Artist Guigen Zha references Salvador Dali in this surrealist scene of Chinese cultural relics. Starlings rest on plum tree branches floating in the dreamy blue...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
1970s Surrealist More Art
Lithograph
20th Century Surrealist More Art
Ink, Paper
Artist Comments
Combining my love of bunnies and my enjoyment of vintage Victorian style was born a few portraits of animal headed old-timey paintings. This bunny lady peers outward as if waiting for someone's arrival, yearning to be somewhere else, although she wears proper clothes, she is surrounding by old barns and empty barren land. Greener Pastures was inspired by my own desire to relocate from where I currently live to 'bigger, better' places.
About the Artist
Kat Silver...
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist More Art
Oil
